The making of an Emperor
by The Outlander
Summary: Emperor Sagacious Tien is dying. Only his son and heir, Prince Tiang, can save the legendary Emperor and stop the young Jade Empire from falling apart.   in-progress
1. The State of the Jade Empire

So, my first ever fanfic! This is exciting! One thingyou should know before you start readong, though: this fanfic is not after the events that took place in the game, but before. How many years before, I cannot tell you. I can only tell you that it takes place during the last months of Emperor Tien's reign. The rest, you'll have to find out for yourself.

This is just a mere introduction, and nothing more than a prologue really. If I get some positive feedback I'll continue posting...

**Book 1: The making of an Emperor**

**Chapter 1: Prologue: The state of the Jade Empire**

This particular tale of the Jade Empire's history is set around 70 years after it was formed. The work on the great Wall that was meant to protect Jade Empire had started 3 decennia ago, but it seemed it would take a long to complete and perfectionise.

Nonetheless, the people of the Jade Empire were happy and enjoyed great social welfare and national security. The Imperial Army had reached an all-time peak, both in numbers and combat-related skills.

But the people of the Jade Empire, as naïve as any human being possibly could be, or should, presumed that there was nothing at all to worry about. This was of course an utter presumption of them, for the Jade Empire had more to worry about then the people saw, or were allowed to see, or even wanted to see! Not even speaking about the evergrowing and ever constant threat of their Nothern neigbours, The Free Land of the Horselords, great tragedy had struck the Jade Empire although only a very selected group of people had knowledge of this. Sagacious Tien, the glamourous and beloved Emperor considered a deity by many, had fallen deadly ill. He was consumed by an unknown disease that was eating away his corpse from the outside. It was as if thin air pierced itself through the Emperor's skin and spread, leaving gaping holes in his skin and slowly but surely penetrated his flesh, biting its way towards the vital organs. No doctor in the Jade Empire, or any other country for that matter, because their search for a doctor who could cure or even had knowledge of the disease was in- and extensive, had any idea what to do about it.

Many of the people at court believed it to be a punishment of the heavens upon the Jade Empire, for it was constructed with the blood, bones and suffering of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, peasants and slaves. Although this theory was also contradictive, for the Emperor had gained the Heaven's blessing when forging the Empire. The common public had no knowledge of this, but it was sure that if the rumour of this fact would be spread, panic would burst out, for they all believed their Emperor to be a God, a transcendent immortal creature with the capacity and capability to dominate all life. Another naivity that stood as a fact to the peasants and merchants.

But like all problems, this one had a solution. Because the Emperor had an heir. A son, called Tiang, who, without knowing it, held the key to the solution. But it wasn't as simple as that. Young Tiang had a destiny to fulfill, but like all things that decide the faith of many, it was not easy.


	2. Linmei the Lotus Flower

**Chapter 2: The arrival of Linmei the Lotus Flower**

Tiang was practising his weapon skills in one of the gardens of the Imperial palace. The monk spade, given to him by his father the Emperor a couple of months ago, was without a shadow of a doubt a powerful and fierce weapon. It always had been his father's primary weapon during the great Revolution which formed the Jade Empire, and was therefore aptly named Tien's Justice. Tiang was proud and honoured to be allowed to wield a weapon of this calibre. He did not yet quite master it, but he felt himself growing stronger and more adapt at using it with each passing day. He performed one of the basic moves. He struck the surrounding with a powerful thrust, leapt 4 metres into the air and hammered the soft grass quite hard. He pulled it out of the ground, for it had penetrated quite deep. Then, he heard a voice behind him. 

"Not bad", it said.

Tiang turned around. It was Tang, son of the infamous outlander who had a close friendship with his own father. The Outlander, as he was commonly and appropriately named by the plebs, was a war hero who contributed almost as much to the Jade Empire's formation as Sagacious Tien himself. For it was the Outlander, whose real name was George Breydel, who commanded the army while Sagacious Tien seeked to appease the heavens. Gaining victory after victory under the Outlander's command, the Empire's formation went much smoother than was foreseen and foretold. And it was at that time that the Imperial Army was formed, lead by the Outlander, who had only one man above him: Sagacious Tien himself.

"You're quite good with that spade, Tiang", Tang continued. "I'd say you are almost up to par now."

Tiang grinned. Tang was known for his superior skill in combat, whether it were martial, weapon, magic, transformation or support styles. For his kindness however, he was not known. 

"Then maybe you can finally beat me", Tiang replied with the grin still clinged to his face.

Tang answered with a smile of his own and approached him. 

"If you're so good, why don't you prove it? Come on, attack me". And 3 long, steel claws sprung from the gloves Tang was wearing. He, being a master of the Leaping Tiger style, was very quick and agile. He leapt towards Tiang with one claw stretched high above him. Tiang rolled out of the way and turned around. He was just quick enough to block Tiang's incoming attack with his spade. Tang did a powerful attack and Tiang flew a couple of metres away. Tang's claws disappeared in his gloves again, and he sent out a purple circular beam that sprung from his fingers. Tiang felt his bodily functions slow down. He could still walk, but his feet only moved about a centimetre per second. He was hit by Tang's Heavenly Wave, a support style that slowed your actions. Tang walked towards Tiang, who had become too slow to offer any significant resistance to whatever Tang intended to do. Tang's claws appeared again, and he held them to Tang's throat. He had won, almost effortlessly. The effect of Heavenly Wave wore out, but it did not matter anymore. Tang had won and in a very fair way. Tiang was stupid to get caught in Tang's Heavenly Wave and he knew it. It didn't make him feel better about himself. Not in the slightest bit.

He sat down on the ground with a mistrustful look on his face. Tang sat down next to him.

"I really suck", Tiang said. "You always beat me. I've never won from you. How can I ever claim the throne of the Jade Empire and become its rightful ruler when I can't even put on a good fight?"

"Oh, come now, Tiang", Tang sighed, "don't go all whiny on me. You're not a bad fighter, I'm just the best there is, that's all".

There was a long gap in the conversation. After a couple of minutes, Tiang replied: "I just knew what I am supposed to do, that's all."

"What is that supposed to mean?", Tang asked.

"I'm sitting here in this beautiful palace, every wish of me is granted, no matter how banal, I am given elite combat training and I have good friends who I like to spend time with." Tiang stopped.

"Yes...?", Tang said.

"But what purpose does it all serve? When I look at my father now, I can see a powerful man, no doubt about it, but I can see that he's only taking a ceremonial role in things. Sure, he fought a lot of wars in the past, but now, he's just a puppetmaster, holding strings of people who do what he wants them to do. He does nothing himself."

"That's very interesting and all", Tang said with a sense of sarcasm, "but that doesn't answer my question, so say what you mean, please, or I will lose my interest in this conversation rather quickly I'm afraid."

"I don't want to end up like that, Tang, don't you comprehend? I wanna become a powerful emperor, known for his connection to the people he rules over, loved by everybody and doing justice for all. My father tries his best to maintain order and keep social welfare on a high level, but times are changing, Tang, I can feel it in the air."

"Puh, that's a utopian vision, not making any sense, Tiang, and you know it. People don't need a connection with their leader, they need themselves, bottom line. Humans are egocentric by nature, and the only ones they care about are the peopleliving in their own skin."

"How can you say such a thing like that?"

"Well, I only care about myself, so I suppose everybody else does", Tang replied with the beginnings of a smile starting to form on his lips. "But seriously, think about it. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? I mean, suppose someone's in a forest and you're being hunted by a Horse Demon or something like that. A great warrior walks by and has the supposed ability to destroy the Horse Demon. Should he save him?"

"Well, of course he has to save him", Tiang replied, "He can not only save the man's life, but he will also be looked upon as noble, brave and skillful."

"Wrong", Tang said. "Well, I think it's wrong. If that warrior saves that man, how will that man have learned something? He will grow to depend on others, rely on others to save his life, out of the goodness of their hearts. That way you don't save the man's life, you weaken him immensely. And not only him, because it will create a society that is completely out of order, based on the beginnings of dependency and kindness coming from other people, and we all know people are rotten inside... But if the very same warrior walks straight past that man, that same man is forced to fight for his life and defend it with every bit of skill he possesses, how little that may be. The man can die, of course, but if he survives, he will be twice the man he was, and will have taught a valuable lesson."

"You are hopeless, Tang", Tiang said to his friend. "One day you will hopefully see that not every human being is as vile and corrupt as you consider it to be."

"I wouldn't count on it, Tiang. But you can always hope. As long as you live." Another pause came. Prince Tiang looked at the surroundings. They were in one of the many gardens of the Imperial Palace. A small plain of soft grass, an ideal sparring place, surrounded by beautiful flowers and rare plants, some of which were only found in the Imperial Palace itself. Tiang looked some more at the area he spent most of his free time. A bit further, there was a large fountain which had a statue of his father on it. It had its arm stretched out before him, and water, the life-giving liquid, sprung from the tips of its fingers. It had a symbolic meaning, or so he was always told. Tiang himself found the statue and the fountain as a whole a bit dumb. Of course, he was one of the only people in the Empire who looked at Emperor Tien as anything less than a God. The mere thought that he, Prince Tiang would sooner rather than later also be looked upon as a transcendent being was weird. Not disturbing or unpleasant, but just difficult to fathom. He looked at the servants giving water to the flowers. One of them, a girl with long black hair and with typical girly good looks that was watering an extremely rare purple fern, he found quite pretty, but his father always forbode him to talk to servants. One of the first traditions to go when he became emperor. She bent over, to rearrange the fern's branches. Not wanting to treat the girl as a mere object to satisfy his sexual lust, he looked at Tang, who was still sitting next to him. He was rubbing the back of his neck with his nails and was looking at the ground. Tiang looked upon him as a very dear friend. From their birth on, they played together, trained together, fought together and much more. 

"So, tell me, Tang,... Why did you actually chose a spear as your primary weapon?" He said this more out of the sake for conversation than out of interest. Prince Tiang looked at his friend. Tang frowned his eyebrows and returned the look. Tang was not quite pleased with that question and felt a bit insulted. He took great pride in his spearmanship. "Why do you want to know?". 

"Just... Curious, really."

"Remember when we were five years old? Me, you and Jin would get our first weapon from Weaponmaster Dahtan. " Tiang replied with an affirmative nod. "He had three weapons for us: a longsword, a pair of dual sabers, and a spear", Tang continued. "Naive as we all were, we of course thought that the swords would be the best ones. You, being the son of the emperor were of course given the weapon of your choice. You chose the dual sabers. And because I had upset you some minutes earlier, you gave Jin the second choice." Tiang smiled. He remebered this well, but he let Tang continue. It was nice to listen to him, which was odd really because Tang's voice wasn't really pleasant. It was cold and quite shrieky. But Tang considered his meant and frank words to be a nice change after hearing the groveling speeches of the servants or people at court all day long. "So, I had no choice but to pick the spear, really." Tiang looked up at his friends face, who was talking to him while keeping his eyes focused on the ground. "I was quite mad at first, being the only one to have to take a spear. But weaponmaster Dahtan walked over to me and said: "Tang, boy, you should prize yourself lucky. For you have the greatest melee weapon this Empire can offer". I remember cursing at him, but he appeared to be a very patient man."

"Is that why he trained you?", Tiang asked.

"Yes, it appeared he was a spearman himself. And apart from myself, I've never seen anyone who could match his skill with a spear. And, you know what? He was right. A man or woman who has been well trained with a spear is a devastating opponent. It's a shame that not many people know how to wield it properly."

"Then why did Dahtan leave the Imperial Palace all of a sudden? He was your personal weapontrainer!"

"Yeah, maybe he envied my skill and couldn't bear the fact that I overclassed him. He was a proud man as well, apart from being patient you know. Or perhaps he could no longer deal with my impudence, who knows... I think the latter option is the most probable one. But anyway... I teach myself nowadays, I don't need some old goat to watch over me and tell me what to do."

Tiang smiled once again. This was so typically Tang. 

"Hey, guys!" Both Tang and Tiang looked up. It was Jin who had called them. He came walking towards them and sat next to them. Jin was Tiang's nephew, the son of Emperor Tien's deceased sister. She died during childbirth. It was too much for Jin's father to bare, and he committed suicide. Ever since that day, Emperor Tien looked upon Jin as his second son. Jin was much taller than Tiang or Tang and had a much more impressive physique. Tang, who was the only pale-skinned inhabitant of the Jade Empire apart from his father, was quite short, with very short brown hair, blue eyes, detailed muscles and a tight body. Tiang was a bit taller, with short, spikey black hair, but was not very muscled whatsoever. You don't need any muscles to be a master of the Thousand Cuts style, if you know the body's trigger points. Jin however, was strong. His long black hair that was bound together in a tail accented his heavily muscled body. He was a typical master of the White Demon style, a martial style that focuses on strength and range utilising powerful kicks and punches. But even he had never been Tang's equal in combat. Jin went to sit next to Tiang, and he looked at his comrades. "Ready for the ceremony this afternoon, guys?", he asked them. 

"What ceremony?", Tang asked. 

"Tang, how could you forget!? Count Pon the Vein is coming to introduce his daughter to court later today", Tiang said.

"Oh yeah, that ceremony. I almost forgot. Is that today? Man, I have things really mixed-up lately."

"Yes, well, get ready for things to become even more mixed-up when she arrives", Jin said to Tang. "I heard she is so beautiful even the Great Dragon envies her, and that her skill in combat is only matched by the Emperor himself."

"Hah, she obviously never met Tang Breydel, son of Georges Breydel the Infamous Outlander!!", Tang said with a fake pompous undertone. "I wanna see her fight as soon as possible."

"Why, do you think you can learn something from her?", Tiang asked.

"No", Tang replied. "The sooner I see her fight, the sooner I can prove I'm better than here." All three laughed and they went silent for a while.

"I'm off to my room", Tiang said. I'm going to prepare for the ceremony.

"What, already?", Jin asked. "It's starting in 6 hours!!"

"I like to take my time. I'll see you guys in the throne room, then?"

Both Tang and Jin nodded affirmatively. Tiang left the company and went inside. The temperature difference was minimal, because they were in the middle of summer. Tiang felt quite sweaty and dirty so he decided to take a bath. He went up the stairs that led to the royal bedrooms. It consisted of 20 suites. One for the Emperor and the Empress, one for Tiang, one for Jin, one for Tang, one for Tang's father (he never really knew who Tang's mother was, Tang was delivered to him as a baby with the message that he was his son), one for Priest Djethunc the spiritual advisor of the Emperor, one for Minister Thai Lee the general advisor of the Emperor and one for Scholar Kimton the official doctor at court. The rest were lodging rooms for important guests. Tiang realized that tonight, Linmei, for so the daughter of Count Pon was called, would also be sleeping in one of these rooms. He got a bit excited at the idea that a girl of his own age would be sleeping in this area. Tiang had never felt a woman's warmth, to his annoyance. At least, not the warmth of a woman who wasn't his mother or at least thirty years older than him. Tiang called a servant to prepare a bath for him as he went inside his room. Soon after, five servants entered his room and started pouring hot water into the big tub. Tiang's suite consisted of three separate rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom and a room to study or read. All three separate rooms were magnificently decorated with red silk and a lot of gold. The costs that were spent on his room could feed an entire family with 10 kids for over 15 years. Tiang realized this, but thought that was one of the reasons he was royalty. Having more money than most people. He went to the bathroom, and started undressing. The servants, all girls, looked secretly at Tiang. He noticed it and was flattered by their interest. He knew he could have them if he asked it, and that he could deand their 'love' if they didn't want to. But Tiang wasn't like that, he was a romantic idealist. He believed in love and the thought that only true love would be satisfying if fulfilled and that true love will find its way no matter what happens. So he told them to leave the room, rather than take advantage of his power. He went to sit in the bath. It felt perfect. The hot , steamy water cleansed his body and relieved Tiang from all the muscle-ache and stress he felt. Tiang sat in the bath for at least an hour and a half. The water started to get cold, so he went out, grabbed a towel and put it around his waist. He left his bathroom. Servants immediately flocked in, to clean up what Tiang had left behind. While they were at it, Tiang put some shorts on, and started meditating, until an hour before the ceremony.

As soon as Tiang left their company, Jin and Tang started to speculate about what would happen later tonight. Jin thought the newcomers at court had to perform a ritual, during which they had to show their skills. Tang hoped that the newcomers had to fight each and every single member at court. If he was really serious about this or not, Jin did not know. 

"So, want a small sparring match before we also go and prepare ourselves?", Tang asked Jin.

"Yeah, sure. I could use the exercise", Jin replied.

"Yeah, we don't want you starting to look flabby, huh? And besides that, it will be more than an exercise for you, Jin. I'll make you suffer like never before". Tang grinned, and so did Jin. But then, they became serious. "Magic or martial?", Tang asked Jin. 

"Magic".

Immediately, Tang burst into flames. Jins body became covered with ice. Tang held a large ball of flames between the palms of his hands, while Jin had a lump of ice floating between his palms. Tang jumped 5 metres backwards. Jin shot a chunk of ice towards him and Tang rolled out of the way. In the middle of his rolling manoeuvre, Tang shot a ball of flames at Jin himself. Jin ducked underneath it, and followed it up with another node of ice. It hit Tang right in the chest, and Tang fell backwards. He immediately got up and blocked one of Jin's incoming ice shards with his superheated hands. It melted instantly and fell to the ground as water. From the same hand he blocked the ice with, he sent forth a ball of flames towards Jin. Jin was well-prepared however, and he jumped over it. But Tang used his internal energy to change the flame's direction, something only the very best magicians could. Jins legs got scorched, and he fell torso first to the ground. Another ball of flames came soaring towards him, but was bound for his head. Jin rolled to the right and blocked the next incoming flame with his hands as well. The ice around his hands quickly melted, but came back even faster. He shot three lumps of ice at Tang and followed them as fast as he could. But Tang sprung upwards, letting both the ice and Jin pass underneath him. When Jin turned around, he was staring at a fistful of fire right before his eyes. If it were a deathmatch, his face would've been burned to a crisp. 

"I win. Again", Tang said. The fire that was circulating around his skin disappeared, and so did the ice that had covered Jin's body. "But, you gave it quite a fight, pal. You've been practising in secret haven't you?"

Jin grinned. Tang was right, he had been training the channeling of his internal energy,his movement with an ice-covered body and control over pieces of ice very intensely during past weeks. "Yes", Jin admitted.

"And still, you can't beat me, Tang said with a smile. But don't worry, chum, perhaps one day you'll come close. What time is it, by the way?"

"I haven't a clue. Perhaps we'd better go inside as well."

"Yeah, maybe I can seduce some servants while waiting for the big event of tonight. I'm certain I can find some that are up for the job."

"Does your father know about your ... relationships with the servants?", Jin asked Tang. "I mean, I don't think there isn't a servant in the Imperial Palace that hasn't shared your bed. Surely he must know about it."

"Yeah, probably. But I don't think he minds. He was quite the wooer himself back when he was young. Going from town to town, having bacchanalian orgies with courtesans, rich girls, even female bums. That was right after the formation of the Empire. I'd be immensely surprised if I were his only kid. But later, much later, he met my mom and the old horny bugger finally settled down. I guess I'll end up like him one day. Perhaps it's in our blood."

"And you don't mind? You don't want a steady relationship, just loose sex with everybody that you encounter until you're 50 years old, after which you finally meet someone you love?"

"Well, the latter part isn't necessary, but the rest of it pretty much covers what I have in mind for the future, yes.", Tang spoke and he smiled at Jin. Jin returned it, and they went inside, to their respective rooms, to prepare for the ceremony.

Tiang, Jin and Tang were standing next to Emperor Tien's throne. The old Emperor sat there, looking weak, with a painful grimace on his face. Tiang looked at his father with an aching heart. He couldn't even hold his father's hand anymore, out of fear he would peel the skin and flesh right off the bone. That's how bad it had become. But his father, Emperor Tien wasn't gone yet, and as long as he had any strength left, until he had a single breath, he would rule this Empire. And ceremonies like this were a part of it. It was not unusual that rich folk would send their children to court, where they would finish their education, become familiar with the political aspects of the Jade Empire, and above all receive the Emperor's blessing, which was required for them, as noblemen or -women, to succeed in life. It had been almost a decennium since the last time this had happened, though, and Tiang barely remembered it. But tonight would be a night to remember, he was sure of that. If Linmei the Lotus Flower was as beautiful as poets said she was, he had big plans with her. Plans that involved a marriage, and a handful of children. He took a deep breath. On his right side, Tang and Jin were talking to each other, sharing strategies about how to woo Linmei, when she had arrived. Tiang felt uncomfortable even listening to them, and turned his attention elsewhere. He looked at the left side of his father's throne. There stood The Outlander, Tang's father, his own father's best friend, best general and best counsellor. He was speaking to the Emperor. Tiang eavesdropped a little bit, and heard shreds about Horselords and battle plans. Undoubtedly they were discussing the threat of the Horselords of the Plains of Barren Hope, who lived to the north of the Jade Empire. He looked a bit behind The Outlander, and saw some more counsellors, some yes-men, and lots and lots of servants. To his right only stood Tang and Jin. He heard The Outlander say that he feared the Wall left great areas vulnerable to attacks if the Horselords considered an assault, when suddenly a loud gong resounded throughout the throne-room. An announcer yelled "Count Pon the Vein!" Everybody went silent instantly. Jin whispered some last words to Tang, but was silent as well eventually. The throne room was a giant hall, with the throne of Emperor Tien being the entire focus of it all. The room was decorated with paintings of Emperor Tien and his family, with artefacts, mostly weapons and armour, that helped the creation of the Empire (Tiang's current weapon hung here until his father gave it to him), some hunting trophies from the Emperor and the Outlander and lots more. A long, crimson carpet, almost a 100 metres long, was lain out before the throne, and on the far end of that carpet, where the gates. Gates of thick, dark, strong ebony, with golden touches. It were easily the mightiest and most expensive gates in the Empire. It were those gates that now opened. Standing in two long rows, at the sides of the carpet, were Palace Security Guards. They all had the same longswords and uniforms: blue robes with silver linings, covered with a black steel plate across the chest and over the upper legs. It was quite a colourful picture, Tiang thought. He looked at the opening gates, and saw a rather small man, who looked quite fragile and was not at all very good looking coming forth. He was wearing magnificent green robes and a golden headpiece. He looked at his father. Emperor Tien sat up as straight as he possibly could without having to be in complete agony, and watched the little man come towards him. Count Pon the Vein had not stolen his name. Although he was not very good looking, he always had the illusion he was, and even went as far as to pay people to make them say he wasn't as ugly as a rat demon's rear-end. He always wanted the most beautiful women he could get his hands on, and with his financial capabilities, that didn't form much of a problem. Tiang hoped the Count's daughter would look like her mother, or else he would give the poets that sung the beauty of Linmei the Lotus Flower the award of "Greatest exaggerators since Xen the Stableboy called his specially bred horse manure a 'refreshing and delicious meal, that would give you a small part of heaven after every bite'". The Count had reached the Emperor's throne and kneeled down before his potentate. 

"Mighty, divine Emperor Tien", Count Pon spoke. "It is an honour to be in your presence. May the Heavens reflect your glory for the infinite ages to come."

"Rise, Count Pon", said Emperor Tien with a voice that was shaking, but still determined. Count Pon stood up. "I have understood, my old friend, that your daughter Linmei has reached the age where she is a woman, instead of a girl. And thus eligible to serve at court. But tell me, Count Pon, what qualities does your daughter possess that should make her worthy of receiving this rare honour?"

"My wise Emperor", Count Pon said with a smile, "my daughter possesses all skills that are required to become a woman of great renown. She is very skilled with a staff, she controls the frozen element we call ice, she is a true master of the Legendary Strike martial style, and she can tap the internal energy of others. And then I haven't even spoken about her Storm Dragon mastery, along with her ability to transform into a fox spirit."

"A fox spirit, eh?", Emperor Tien replied. "That is very, very exceptional indeed, especially at her age. But what other qualities does she possess? Because at court we have no need of brainless fighters only."

"My daughter, oh mighty Sagacious Tien, has written some brilliant essays about the Open Palm philosophy. Other than that, she has also written about the connection between the Emperor, his people and the Celestial Bureaucracy. It is during the writing of this last thesis that she has learned her transformation style."

"I see", Emperor Tie replied. "Very interesting. I'd like to read those documents one day. But... What else can she do?"

"Well, mighty Tien, surely you must have heard of her beauty? Her fairness will make the Imperial Palace shine like never before, reflecting your glory upon your empire, like the sun that shines upon our glorious nation."

"Very well. I think I've heard enough, count Pon. Send her in." 

Tiang was extremely excited. He looked at his right. Jin was looking at the gates, Tang was inspecting his fingernails with utmost concentration. Tiang looked at the gates as well, which started to open. 

The ebony gates banged against the wall, and through the doorway, stepped Linmei the Lotus Flower.

Tiang's jaw droppes about 10 centimetres and hung there like a fish hanging on the hook of a rod.

Jin's eyes widened when he saw her, and stared at her like a big fat oily guy stared at a bowl of wine.

Tang formed wrinkles on his forehead out of pure amazement, for he had never seen a creature so beautiful before. 

Even the old Emperor Tien was extremely impressed by her appearance and good looks.

Linmei strode forth. Her green robes fell perfectly over every magnificent curve that her body had. Her dark eyes shimmered like 2 great rubies, which were accentuated by her even darker hair. Her nose was tiny and extremely cute, and she had full lips that were of a more intensive red than the carpet she walked on. Her breasts were quite big and very round. They protruded a little and gave her a very sexy appearance. 

Tiang's doubts had gone away. Linmei the Lotus Flower had to become his future wife, no matter what the cost! He felt a lust he didn't even know he possessed, and it scared him a little bit, because he always had thought himself to be a pure, modest and demure guy. 

She arrived before his father's throne and was only a couple of metre's away. She kneeled before her Emperor and Tiang tore his glance away from Linmei to look at his friends. Tang was licking his lips, and Jin was pursing his. Tiang didn't like them doing this. If they were thinking they could challenge him for a shot at her love, they were badly mistaken.

"Mighty Emperor Tien", Linmei spoke, with the voice of an angel. "I come here before you to try and prove you my worth. It is my greatest wish to become a lady at your court. I shall do anything you ask."

Emperor Tien looked at Tiang, who returned the look. Emperor Tien immediately saw his son's burning passion for the girl, and a smile started to form around his lips.

"Everything? I see...", the Emperor said. He paused for a while.

"At the court of the Jade Empire", he continued, "there is not enough unity. Many people are strangers to each other. I want this to change. I want that the court becomes a solid community. Therefore, I have a proposal."

And the Old Emperor pointed at the three boys next to him.

"Here you can see the future of the Empire. Tiang, my son, the future Emperor. Jin, my nephew and adopted son, future High Judge. And Tang, son of my best friend The Outlander, future Grand General of the Imperial Army, like his father. I value these boys ver highly. Your father spoke of your combat skills before. I want to put these words to the test. This night will determine the rest of your life, and that of one of these three. For the first one of these youngsters who can defeat you in a sparring match, will be your future husband."

The words struck Tiang like a flash of lightning. He felt ecstatic. His father was a genius. If he beat her, then... But that might be a problem as well. He was the least skilled fighter of all three of them, and judging by how highly her father spoke of her combat skills, he wasn't too sure that he could defeat her. And then there was Jin, and Tang. Jin she might be able to handle, but there was no way she would ever lose to Tang.

Anyway, the words of the Emperor had bee spoken, therefore it was final. He looked at Linmei. She seemed rather ahppy about it. Marrying one of them would indeed guarantee her future. But Tiang panicked. People in the throne room started to move towards the sparring area, where the fights, or perhaps even just one, would take place. Right away! Tiang looked from his father to Jin to Tang and back to his father. As soon as he had the chance he whispered to his dad: "Father, I'm not so sure about this."

"Why not?", the Emperor said to his son. "You're madly in love with the girl, I saw that from the moment she came in."

"Yes, but I'm not sure if I can beat her or not."

"Well, I'm sorry, but if you can't, then you're not worthy of being her husband either, Tiang. That's how I feel about it. You've been given appropriate training, I think. The best there is. She might be a good fighter in the countryside, but this is the Imperial Palace, my boy", and that was all the Emperor had to say about the subject. Tiang wasn't convinced at all though. His father had to be moved, so he left him alone.

Then, he felt a pat on the back. It was Tang. "Well, well, well, what a lucky bugger I am. Not only do I get to fight this divie creature, I also get to marry her! Yeah!"

This was too much for Tiang. He grabbed Tang by the collar and pushed him against the nearest wall. Tang was so surprised by Tiang's agressive outburst that he didn't resist. And Jin, who was standing next to them all along, didn't do anything but watch.

"Now look here, you son of a bitch. Let's set some things straight", Tiang said. "First of all, you're fighting last. Secondly, I'm going first. Third of all, and this counts for you too, Jin, if I lose, you two are going to lose as well. Okay!?"

Tiang was breathing heavily, and both Jin and Tang were very surprised. They had never seen their otherwise so friendly and pacifistic friend like this before.

"Look...", Tang said slowly. "I understand your feelings for this bombshell, and I know you want to marry her. I understand that, and if it were up to me, I'd wrap her into some paper and give her to you as a birthday present. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We have to fight. And I would like nothing more than to see you beat her in the first match. But if you lose, and Jin as well, and it's my turn... I'm not backing down. I won't lose on purpose. I have a reputation to uphold."

Tiang pushed Tang even tighter against the wall.

"If you take her away from me, Tang, I will break you, you hear me? I will break you! You're just going to use her as some fuckpuppet anyway. That's everything a woman is to you. A way of satisfying your filthy needs. So mark my words well, Tang, if it is because of you that I cannot marry this girl, I will make sure the Imperial Guards decline you of any further sexual pleasure. Got it?"

Tiang released Tang, who looked amazed. "Let me tell oyu something, Tiang", Tang sad. "What you just did here... Wel, let's jst say that I've never had as much respect for you as I have now. And therefore, I will try to honour your wishes."

"No, Tang, you will not try, you will do as I say. And by the way, Jin... The same counts for you!"

Tiang walked away, leaving his two best friends alone, not knowing what to do...


	3. Love, pride and perfifious friendship

**Chapter three: A matter of love, pride and perfidious friendship**

Tiang had just switched his ceremony robes for his combat clothes. Black trousers, a black vest (AE: undershirt), and black boots with a yellow lining at the top. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was still feeling the adrenaline from his actions some 10 minutes ago. He had threatened Tang Breydel, son of the Outlander, a guy he couldn't even scratch if he wanted to. Tiang already felt remorse about talking to probably his best friend like that, but it seemed to have had its effect. Apologies could come later. Right now, he had to give everything he had.

He found it ironic that he had to fight the woman he loved in order for his love to be returned. But that was probably why the Jade Empire was a nation founded on war and combat.

A servant entered the room.

"Master Tiang", he humbly said, "it's time."

"Thanks. You can go now." Tiang took a very deep breath, grabbed Tien's Justice and then stepped out.

He saw that Linmei was already in the sparring ring and that she wielded a staff. The members of court were around it, nipping from their bowl of wine and cups of tea. His father sat on a stage, with Count Pon standing next to him. He saw him whisper something against the Emperor, but he couldn't make out what he said. Then, Tiang heard a voice.

"Sparring match one: Prince Tiang against Linmei the Lotus Flower. There are no style restrictions, except for support styles, as they can initiate a harmonic combo. Lethal blows are not permitted either."

Tiang stepped into the circle. He was already sweating. His eyes and those of Linmei met. She looked devastating in her combat outfit. It showed a lot of skin, and the red colour and shiny effect it had, made her look like a dragon that was about to step on its prey. Her black hair was tied into a long tail, that reached the low end of her bottom. Tiang was gazing at her, when he suddenly heard a bell ring. Linmei shot forward and Tiang was caught completely off guard. She hit his belly with her staff, and Tiang fell to the ground. He was amazed by how much power she possessed. Tiang quickly got up and blocked an incoming attack of Linmei by holding his spade in front of him. They were now in a battle of strength. Linmei seemed to be winning, because Tiang's spade began to retreat back to his body. But then, Tiang took a sidestep and turned. Linmei fell forward because of the pressure she had been applying. Tiang dropped Tien's Justice, and started ti use magic. He let a lump f rock come up from out of the ground and shot it at Linmei. It hit her in the back. He shot another rock at her, but she dodged it. The following rock that Tiang shot at her, she parried with her staff. She came running towards Tiang, averting every single lump Tiang shot at her. She leapt, and hit Tiang again with her staff. And then, she showcased her transformation power. Tiang saw how she transformed. An array of light was on display when she did it, and when the light had gone away, there was a Fox Spirit standing. She jumped, rotated 360 degrees, and Tiang felt his body drain. All the energy he had, faded away. It ached tremendously, but there was nothing he could do. Then, he felt the drain on his body stop, along with the pain. But when it was over, he couldn't even move again. He just lay on the ground, breathing, but not moving. He heard a voice say: "The fight is over. Linmei the Lotus Flower has won."

Tiang saw the same light he saw before and realised she must've transformed back. Servants ran towards Tiang, who was carried away.

Jin and Tang had just witnessed the sparring match, and saw how Tiang just got beaten.

"That's interesting", Jin said, with his eyebrows raised.

"It sure is", Tang agreed. "It's your turn now. Scared?"

"I'm not even sure if I will try to beat her or not", Jin said.

"Are you serious? You're not going to take Tiang serious are you? He's had his chance. And it was his own father's will that it'd be this way", Tang said.

"I know, but Tiang's the future emperor, man. I'm not sure if it's wise to set him against me."

"Puh, Tiang is too much of a coward to fulfill his threats. Believe me."

"Maybe, maybe not", Jin said with pursed lips. "But I don't want to find out."

Tang looked at the old Emperor. He had a look of extreme disillusionment on his face. Tang had to grin, because he thought it was quite funny that Tiang had been beaten so quickly and that he probablywould get an entire sermon from his father after this all was finished. Not that he didn't like the lad, but his idea's were wrong. Idea's on how to reach your goals. On how to do what's best for yourself. Idea's on how to survive. He feared that Tiang wouldn't be strong enough to become Emperor. But he never had said that to anyone, not even his father or Jin.

"Have you noticed the look on Emperor Tien's face?", Tang asked Jin.

"Yes, I have", the big man replied. "He doesn't look too elated with his son's rather embarassing defeat. But hey, Linmei looks exceptionally skilled. I don't know if I can beat her even if I tried."

"Of course you can, I've already spotted 13 different gaps in her defence, just lying there and waiting to be exploited. Man, she's not going to know what hits her when she faces me. If she ever does, of course."

Jin had a concerned look on his face. He was in inward struggle.

And Jin stepped forward.

But instead of going towards the circle of combat, he went round it, towards the Emperor. Being his adopted son, he could talk to him without needing a triple permission in writing. Count Pon and The Outlander stood next to him, and he requested if he could speak to his godfather in private.

"Of course, but not for too long. We can't keep all the guests waiting, now can we?", Emperor Tien said with a faint smile. Jin returned, and when The Outlander and Count Pon had emoved themselves for a moment, Sagacious Tien asked Jin: "So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Please, sir, I do not want to fight Linmei."

The Emperor looked very surprised. "Ah, and why not?"

"Because this whole situation puts me in a rather hopeless situation. If I beat her, Tiang will hate me for it. If I lose, Tang will lose his respect for me, and I will have lost my pride because I've lost in front of you, my Lord."

The Emperor thought about what Jin had just said.

"If I understand you well, you're saying that my son also lost his pride?"

"Not necessarily, my Lord. It's a personal given. Tiang values other things more highly than combat, which adorns him. But I have one sole capability: and that is combat. Therefore, I do not which to lose the respect of either one of my best friends, nor do I want to be humiliated. Therefore I am asking you: do not let me fight her."

The Emperor sighed. "Does Tang want to fight her?"

"Yes, my Emperor. But he wants to fight everything that can walk, so it's not that big a surprise. I believe he's only fighting her for the thrill of it, though."

"Well, I'm not going to go back on my word. The one who beats her, will marry her. But... You do not have to fight. I understand your situation."

Jin felt extremely relieved. "Thank you for your understanding", he said with a deep bow.

"Not at all", Sagacious Tien replied. "You reminded me of my sister when you were talking like that. Always wanting to be loved by those she cared about, and doing anything to achieve it. Seeing you act like this, gives me the feeling that her spirit is still with us."

Jin suddenly felt an urge to hug the mightiest human being in the Empire and beyond, but then reconsidered, seeing that it would probably kill the old man.

"Now go, and tell Tang to step into the ring. Let's see if he can handle this girl."

Jin bowed one last time, and stepped away. He felt the eyes of the spectators and those of Linmei watching him. He walked towards Tang.

"What was that all about?", Tang asked.

"Oh, nothing. By the way, it's your turn to fight now."

"Oh, no... Don't tell me you've chickened out of it!"

"Not at all. Me and the Emperor just decided that it would be in the best interest of everybody if I were not to fight her. Or perhaps you doubt his word?"

Even Tang's insolence had boundaries, so he didn't reply to that remark.

"Very well, then. Good luck, Tang."

Tang grabbed his spear and walked forward, into the circle where Linmei had been waiting. He looked at his father, who had rejoined the side of the Emperor. Their looks met and he saw his father give him a friendly wink.

He then looked at Linmei.

Linmei sensed that the white boy was looking at her. Trying not to look into his eyes, she positioned herself for when the bell would ring. Ever since her arrival she had thought the son of The Outlander to be the most handsome of the three, and if it were up to her, he could marry her. But she wasn't just going to let him. That was not her nature. She had found the heir to the throne, Prince Tiang, quite a disappointment. Not as handsome as people had said he'd be, and not at all a good fighter. She had beaten him without even going deep. But she alo realised that the man standing before her now would be something else. She had heard stories about Tang Breydel's unbelieveable combat skills, and if half of them were true, she would be in for the fight of her life. Then, she heard the bell rang.

She did the same as she did with Tiang. She leapt forward with her staff directed towards his stomach. But this opponent was mich faster. He rolled out of the way, and as soon as she landed, she felt the tip of a spear scratching her back. How was this possible? She was dazzled by how quickly she had taken a hit. It wasn't a mortal wound, but it was one nonetheless. She turned around, and had just enough reflexes in her to duck underneath the inswinging spear. She tried to take advantage of the situation. If he had just swung a spear at her from left to right, he couldn't block any incoming attack on his left side. So she tried to kick him in the left part of his abdomen.

She had taken the bait. Her right foot swung towards his left belly. Tang quickly let the claws spring from his right hand Leaping Tiger glove, and pierced her boot, barely missing her foot and toes in the process.

Linmei couldn't believe it. Her foot was stuck on his claws now, and the weight of the staff brought her out of balance. She dropped it, and used her left foot to kick him in the face. But that, too, failed. His left arm now moved the solid wood of the spear towards his face as protection, and Linmei hit the spear with shinbone, which hurt quite a lot. She heard gasps of amazement around her. She pulled her foot off Tang's claws and took a couple of steps backwards.

She retreated. Already. Tang was disappointed. He hadn't even been hit once, and he could've killed her twice. She was lucky it wasn't a lethal match.

Tang decided to make the match a bit more spectacular for the bystanders. He dropped his spear, and burst into flames.

He started using magic. Dire-flame style. He sure was a show-off. "But why not, if it is effective?", Linmei thought. Tang sent a ball of flames towards her. But she had been well trained in averting flames. She kicked it with her chi-filled ankle. She had expected the fireball to go back to its sender, but the fire was much hotter and more powerful than she had anticipated. Her entire leg almost got burned, and the entire place started to stink of burnt leather.

Linmei started to get desperate. She decided to counter magic with magic. And Linmei started to channel her chi into creating an icy shield around her, and forming lumps in the palms of her hands. She shot 5 consecutive lumps of ice at Tang in less than a second. A move that had knocked most of her toughest opponents to date out.

She wasn't a bad magician. Tang formed a huge shield of fire in front of him. One by one, the bits of ice melted like at snowflake on a hot plate. He took all the fire from the shield, formed into one gigantic ball of fire, and threw it with all his force towards Linmei.

Linmei's heart was pounding. What did she have to do? Her strongest attack was just blocked like it was nothing and she never had faced such an amount of fire before, let alone such hot and powerful fire. She used her last resort: a transformation into a fox spirit. Those were almost immune to magic.

Tang almost had to laugh. This was too easy. The girl jumped into every trap he laid. She now transformed into a fox spirit. Transformation styles always required a combination of chi and focus at the same time. Especially when becoming a fox spirit. And Tang had just the move for that. He let the flames around his body disappear and pointed a finger at Linmei. A blue ray shot forth, hitting the girl's fox spirit form in the chest. Linmei fell to the ground.

This was impossible. This couldn't be. She felt her chi fade away. She couldn't hold onto this form any longer. She... Transformed back.

On the outside, Jin was watching the match with a lot of excitement, although he already knew the outcome. Tang was just toying with her now. A couple of moves, and then it'd be over. Tang was going to marry her, and no threat of Tiang's, nor the combat skills of Linmei could prevent that. He wondered what Tiang's reaction would be.

Linmei lay on the ground. Tiang approached. Now he just had to finish it. "No lethal blows", a voice in his head said. The temptation was big. He could hardly resist it. She laid there. Vulnerable. Beaten. Weak. Defences down. But he couldn't do it. Not in the heart of the Empire. Not with a future girl of the court. His future wife. Because that was almost definitely now. And the sexual pleasure she'd give him would certainly equal the pleasure of killing her. But he had played with her long enough. Now he was going to finish the job in style. He sent forth a purple beam and... He heard a bell ring.

"Disqualification because of the use of an illegal support style. The winner is: Linmei the Lotus Flower.

Linmei was still caught in the Heavenly Wave. She had heard what the announcer had said, but she could not yet react to it, so slowed were her movements.

Tang could not believe it. He was disqualified? He lost? His mouth fell open. All because of the use of a single Heavenly Wave beam? That couldn't be. He ran towards the man who had rung the bell.

"What in the name of the Gods did you just do?", he shouted.

"It's in the rules, as stated by Holy Emperor Sagacious Tien."

Tang cursed so violently and offensively, that a lady that heard him fainted. He heard a hand grab his shoulder. It was Jin.

"Why did you do that for?', he said.

"I forgot the damn rules", Tang sighed. "I got too carried away."

"So you didn't do it on purpose?", Jin asked.

"Well, no... of course not. I already saw the chick in her wedding gown!"

"Well, this could be convenient. Tell Tiang you did it on purpose, and we'll all be happy."

"I'm not", Tang said, still mad at himself. But he knew Jin was right. He knew that he could have beaten her, and if he told Tiang he did it for him, he'd appreciate him again. Jin was really smarter than he looked.

Tang looked for Linmei. She had regained her normal speed back. She sat in the middle of the ring, with servants hurrying to help her. She looked almost depressive. He wanted to go talk to her, but he heard the voice of his father behind him.

"Tang!", he heard the booming, deep voice of his father shout. "Why can't you ever do something by the rules. You would've had the most beautiful wife in the entrie Empire, and you let it all shoot because you couldn't remember not to use a support style?"

"Well, dad, actually I did it for..."

"Look, I'm not interested. The Emperor wants to speak to you. And you as well, Jin. Tiang is already with him."

Tiang saw Tang and Jin approaching. He was really happy that both Jin and Tang did as they were told by him. He didn't quite understand why Tang first had to put up an entire show before actually getting him disqualified, but that was okay. Injuries healed. And Linmei only suffered from a scrach on her back and a slightly burned leg. Nothing grave.

Jin and Tang arrived, and his father started speaking.

"Well, boys, I must confess I'm extremely disappointed in all three of you. Tiang, your performance was an absolute disgrace to our glorious warrior tradition. Jin, you didn't even fight, albeit with my permission, but I am not happy that you wanted to call my decisions into question. Tang, you are the most dominant fighter I have ever seen, but you are impulsive and you care more about showing off than about being effective."

His father's words struck him like a flash of lightning. Did his father really have such a low opinion on him? It didn't make him feel better, that was for sure. He looked at his two friends. Jin looked was pursing his lips, as always, and Tang licking his lips; as always.

"Now", the Emperor continued, "this doesn't mean that I think of you as unworthy to be at my court. Far from it. In fact, I trust all of you. More than you realize. And I have something very important to ask of all three of you. Tomorrow, you shall be instructed. Now, leave me be. I am tired, in need of a rest, and my entire body is aching."

Tiang, Jin and Tang left the Emperor, collected their weapons, and went to the garden they had also spent their afternoon in. It had become completely dark and quite chilly. Jin and Tiang sat on a bench, Tang preferred to keep standing.

"What a day", Jin muttered.

"You can say that again", Tiang agreed.

"Yeah...", Tang said.

"By the way, Tang...", Tiang said. "Thank you."

"Erm... What?"

"Thank you. For getting yourself disqualified. It means a lot to me. It shows you still care about me, as a friend."

"Oh, erm", Tang stumbled. "Not at all, I mean, it's what friends do, isn't it?"

Tang suddenly felt strange inside. Tiang was thanking him for something he actually did on purpose, which caused the exact reverse of what he wanted to happen. It seemed very strange.

All three of them looked up at the sky, and carved into their brains, the memories of a day that they'd never forget.


	4. Awkward moments in the palace corridor

**Chapter 4: Awkward moments in the Palace Corridor**

Exhausted and satisfied, Xia the servant crawled off Tang. She rolled herself next to him. Tang had been giving her the time of her life, as he did that to a female servant almost every night. It had been almost 2 weeks since he last slept with Xia, so Tang felt it was her turn again. Seducing her in the first place was as easy as piercing her with a spear. Tang had built up such a reputation that all he had to do was talk to you. Romance had been long gone, and Tang's sexual recreations were nothing more than an occupation, a relief of both stress and bodily fluids.

Xia was still gasping for breath from the extertion. Tang had a much better physique and didn't feel much more tired than after he would walk to his closet to fetch a new pair of trousers, even though they had been going at it for more than 2 and a half hours.

Tang got out of bed and sipped at a crystal jar filled with fresh water. He looked at Xia. When he had asked her to "accompany" him to his room, he had already seen the glint in her eyes. Now, 3 hours later, she lay in his bed, completely done for. He had needed one of his escapades, if that term were still correct, more than other nights. Mostly because of what he had seen that evening. And felt. And done.

Tang went to sit back on his bed, with his back turned to Xia. The servant girl finally sat up straight, crawled towards Tang and hung her head over her shoulder. Tang didn't really like this. Just because he had used her as a means of pleasure, didn't mean she had to become so familiar with him. After all, he was some kind of prince of the Empire. Compared to him, this little girl was nothing. Mere excrement from an abandoned Pekinese. Tang suddenly, violently, shoved her head off his shoulder. This caused her to fall off the bed as well, and unfortunately for her, she bumped her nose onto the ground, and it started to bleed.

"For heaven's sake, tell me you're joking?", Tang said, very angry. "A simple contact with the ground makes your nose bleed?"

"What did you do that for?", Xia said, trying to stop her nose from bleeding. "My nose hurts terribly!" And a couple of blood drops dripped onto the yellow carpet.

"Hey, stop ruining my carpet! Damn it!", and Tang kicked her in the face so hard she flew back more than a metre and landed on the wooden floor. Xia started crying. Salty tears ran from her eyes, and mixed with the thick blood that ran from the poor girl's nose before leaking onto the floor.

"What's wrong with you?", Tang shouted at her. You're waking the entire palace! Do you want the Emperor to wake up because you can't hold yourself together?"

This only caused Xia to cry even harder. Tang had about enough of her.

"Allright, that's it, get out of my room, you filthy piece of trash. NOW!!" And Tang opened the door, grabbed Xia by the hair and with one hand, he threw her through the door opening. "And if you tell anybody about this, you won't live to tell it twice, I can assure you." And Tang slammed the door shut. Suddenly, he realised that Xia's clothes were still lying on the foot-end of his bed along with his, hers being partially ripped, and that Xia was now making her way to the servant's dormitories completely naked, bleeding, and probably leaving an entire trail. For a moment, he cursed his impulsiveness. He grabbed her clothes and opened the door again.

Linmei couldn't sleep. Not from the pains her wounds caused her, though. First of all, she could bear pain very well, and next to that, the Imperial Palacedoctors were on uparallelled skill. They had stopped the wound in her back from bleeding, and made sure it wouldn't infect. In 2 days, it could be fully healed. And for some reason, the doctors knew exactly what to do with a severe burn caused by Dire Flame. Linmei didn't even have to guess why.

She turned around, the humiliation of defeat still burned on her retina and hammered into her mind. Time and time again she repeated the match in her head. What mistakes she could have made. How she could have countered his attacks better. But the longer she thought about it, the more she became desperate. Because, even with her most critical attitude, she couldn't find any flaws of her own, and yet he had countered all her blows in souch a way that she couldn't offer any resistance.

Linmei sighed. Back at home, she was the undisputed champion of the local arena. She always had been a prodigy when it came to fighting, and many a skilled warrior had already fallen at her feet. Of course, she had never killed an opponent before. Even thought she needn't, she had always offered her adversaries mercy. She felt it was not necessary to kill your opponent to prove you're better. But this Tang, though... He had a passion she had never seen before, and if he had wanted, he could've killed her.

Linmei shivered at the thought. Everything she thought about, seemed to lead right back to her defeat.

Linmei couldn't take it anymore, and she got up. She felt like going to the toilet, so that's what she did.When she sat there, she heard a loud thump coming from a couple of rooms further. As she got back to bed, she wondered what it was. She heard a voice say something, and another thump. She went outside to see what was happening. She saw the door of a suite opening, and a servant girl was thrown out in a very violent way, accompanied by some words she couldn't really make out. She walked over towards her and noticed that the girl was completely naked. Wondering what was going on, she hurried towards the girl, and heard her crying. She arrived next to her, and saw that she also was bleeding!

"What happened?", she softly asked. "Who...", and then the bedroom door flew open.

There Tang stood. Completely naked, in front of Linmei the Lotus Flower and Xia the servant, with the latter's clothes in his hand. Her clothes didn't cover up his genitals however, and he saw that Linmei was staring at them with a shocked look on her face. Of course, there was a lot to be shocked about as well, Tang quickly thought. But then, he covered up his parts.

"Umm...", he began. "What are you doing here, Linmei?"

Linmei awoke from a dream as she heard his words. She kept looking at the place that Tang had covered up, which she realised. She hadn't seen anything like that ever since her father took her to a gatherer of rare animals and showed her a snake called a Boa Constrictor!

"Hello?", she heard Tang say.

"Oh, erm. I heard this noise, and...". Slowly, she remembered what had happened before. "And I wanted to see what it was."

"Well, here's your answer. Poor girl fell from my bed and bumped your nose, didn't you?"

Linmei looked at the girl, who soflty aznd slowly nodded.

"And then", Tang continued, "she tripped while going away."

"She went away?", Linmei asked.

"That's what I just said, yes", Tang said.

"Naked?"

"Yes, well, erm... She can be quite impulsive sometimes, she likes to do daring stuff and so on. I let her, you know, you can't terrorize the servant, you need to give them some freedom as well."

"I see", Linmei said. She didn't believe a word he was saying. According to her, Tang had just violated this poor girl. But what could she do about it? And who could she tell about it? And what would it matter? And was the life of this girl worth more than Tang's? Unfortunately not. Tang would get away with this, no matter how. So Linmei breathed deeply.

"I'm not sure if I believe you, Tang", she said. "Give the girl her clothes back, and let her get some medical attention. Please."

Tang did as she asked. Unfortunately, she forgot that by doing so, he was no longer under any cover. Quickly, he went to stand behind his door. Xia put her clothes on as good as was still possible, bowed for Linmei and Tang and then went away.

"So...", Linmei said when she was gone. "Does this happen often?"

"Do you mean inviting a servant to my room, or standing completely naked before the most beautiful newest female member of court ever?"

Linmei felt flattered. She thought Tang was very good looking as well, and he could certainly fulfill all of her needs, judging by what she just saw. But he was arrogant. And a brute. And a dashing good fighter...

"No,I mean, naked servant scoming out of your room, drenched in their own blood."

"Oh, that", Tang said with a faint smile. "It happens about 3 or 4 times a week, actually."

Was he joking? Or was he serious? She only knew him for a very short time, but she wouldn't be surprised if he was telling the truth. Sheasked him a very stupid and banal question.

"Really?"

"Yep," he replied. "Well, they don't always bleed through the nose, but... Anyway, you get the picture."

Linmei now suspected he was exaggerating. She didn't know what to sy, so she kept silent. What did she have to say to a man who literally kicked her ass in the arena and now shows up in front of her, completely naked after probably just having violated a servant? Nothing. Then, Tang asked her a question.

"Why can't you sleep? It can't have been the noise we made..."

"Oh, no", Linmei said with an embarassed smile. I erm,... Have been thinking about today all the time."

"Oh, that", Tang said, still hiding himself behind the door. "Just a sec."

He disappeared, and then the door opened a bit more. Tang had put on some shorts. She couldn't help but notice how detailed every muscle in his upper body was, when he opened the door further.

"Don't worry about it."

"What?", Linmei replied.

"Your defeat. Don't worry about it. I have never lost before, so... It's quite normal I beat you actually."

"Well, to be quite frank, I've never been beaten before, either. So I do worry about it. You seemed to beat me so easily."

"Yes, your defence was very flawed, I must say. Your training was good, but not excellent. You've got a lot of potential that is still locked inside your body."

Linmei didn't know what to say. Thank him or be offended by his words?

"What do you mean by that?", Linmei asked curiously.

"Just that. Your training could've been a lot better. If you would've trained from birth at the Palace, you would be Jin's equal. Now, you're not. Not yet, at least."

"How can you know I can't beat Jin? I've never fought him before."

"Look, not that I don't like this conversation, but I'd rather sit down while talking. Care to come in?"

Linmei didn't know what to do. She wanted to hear Tang out, but she was worried about what might happen afterwards. Tang had a reputation, and she just witnessed that it was well-earned. But her curiosity prevailed, and she stepped inside his room. She sat on a chair, while Tang went to sit on his bed.

"This isn't really... proper conduct, you know", Linmei said.

"Yeah, so? I never made you come inside, you know. Anyway, i have fought Jin countless times. I know how good my opponents are. Jin is much stronger than you, although not as quick. But his block is virtually impregnable. Jin is also very resistent to magic. If you two would fight... Jin would be the winner, I am confident of that."

"Then what should I do to improve?", Linmei asked, desperate for knowledge on how to acquire more power. She was so interested in the conversation that she sat on the edge of her chair.

"Well, I ain't no teacher, oh Heavenly Lotus Flower, so I can't tell you", Tang said with a smile.

"Oh, come on, you do know!"

"Maybe. But what kind of a warrior would I be when I share my knowledge of combat with everybody? Not a superior one, that's for sure."

"Well, if you won't tell me, then I've got no further reason to stay here. Goodnight!" And Linmei stood up, and angrily she walked towards the door.

"Well,well. She's not even here for a full day yet, and already she's trying to manipulate others. I must say, I really do admire you."

Linmei turned around and gave Tang a look full of contempt. "I'm not manipulating anybody!", she said with a voice that was louder than usual.

"Of course not. Goodnight", Tang said as he waved at her.

Linmei walked through the door and slammed it shut.

Back in her room, her heart was still pounding. What an asshole! Telling her of all people that she was but a mediocre warrior, and then not even giving her ways to improve. "Perhaps he wants others aaround him to be weak", she thought in herself. "So he's even more dominant."

"Ugh, why do I even care", she spoke, and got into bed.

And that night, she dreamt of Tang beating her in combat.


	5. A quest for the Empire

**Chapter 5: A quest for the Empire**

Tiang awoke. The dream he had about Linmei quickly vanished. It had been a wonderful one. He tried to remember everything he dreamt, but the more he thought about it, the more details that began to slip away. He remembered he had kissed her... And that he had touched her... And... She had said she loved him. He was lost in reverie, until he sighed, disappointed the dream wasn't reality. He sat up, and rubbed his face. He combed his hair with his fingers, and thought about the day to come. Yesterday, his father had said that he, Jin and Tang would get an important task. What he meant with that, Tiang did not know. Perhaps something about his future as an emperor?

Tiang got out of bed, and got dressed. He preferred to dress himself, instead of being dressed by the servants. It gave him a touch of humanity.

He got out, and went to the dining room for breakfast.

When Tiang arrived, he saw that Tang and Jin were already there. Tang looked very sleepy. Tiang didn't even wonder why. Jin looked a bit nervous. He probably had been thinking about the "task" as well. Tiang greeted them both and sat himself down next to Jin.

The three princes had their own dining room ever since they were able to feed themselves. Tiang never ate in the presence of his father. And certainly not since his disease. But he didn't mind that. It made the conversations a lot more interesting. But now, however, all three of them were a bit silent.

Then, Tiang heard the ruffling of robes behind him. He turned around and his heart skipped a beat. It was Linmei.

"I was told that the three of you dine here", she said. "I have requested my father and the Emperor to dine alongside you."

"Well, erm...", Tiang stumbled, "that's fine by me. Chair, please!", she shouted, and in a split second, a chair was brought by a servant.

Linmei walked towards the table. The servznt put the chair next to Tang, and felt annoyed by it. Why didn't that dumb servant place the chair next to him? Of course, he couldn't complain about it with all three of them being able to hear it. But he would make sure the servant would never, ever make the same mistake again. He watched Linmei, as she walked in her resplendid yellow robes and sat herself down. A plate was being set before her nose, and she told the servants what she would like to eat. Tiang tried to, but he really couldn't hold his eyes off her. Suddenly, he saw a hand moving before his eyes. It was Jin's.

"Hey, do you have a crick in your neck or what?", Jin said.

"Hmm? Oh, erm... No, no, not at all."

"What are you staring at then?"

"I think we all know", Tang said with a loud voice.

"Shut up, Tang", Tiang said, also with a loud voice, angry at Tang for his remark..

"Come on, guys, relax!", Jin mediated. "We don't want to start the day with an angry mug, now do we? Tiang, do you know what the task is going to be about?"

"I haven't the slightest idea", Tiang said truthfully. "Perhaps it has something to do with my coronation. It could be sooner rather than later, given the circumstances."

"True", Tang replied, "But I don't think the old Emperor is ready to depart for the great Wheel of Life yet. If you ask me, it's going to take a while before he finally steps through death's door."

"What do you mean, finally?", Tiang said.

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but the Empire suffers from this whole situation. With the Emperor being weaker than normal, the Horselords are gathering again, and last I've heard, they started attacking villages in the north. Again. The Emperor has more pressing matters at hand, personal matters, and is overlooking these attacks. If someone or something doesn't react soon, I'm afraid we'll have a full-scale war upon us. Again."

Tiang didn't know what to say. Tang's words sounded wise and well-considered, but it almost sounded like treason! Treason from withing the walls of the palace itself. He couldn't just agree with this. Then, he suddenly heard Linmei speak.

"I agree with Tang." It were the first words she had said since joining them at the table. "The Emperor was a great man in the past, but even time's decay is overwhelming him. Something needs to be done about the situation."

Suddenly, Tiang agreed as well. "Yes, you're totally right."

Then, Jin reacted. "What? You can't mean that. Your father has always been good for the people and the Empire. He knows what to do, and the issue will be dealt with, I'm sure of that."

"Hey, I've got an idea", Tang said. "Perhaps we need to go and kick some Horselords out of our Empire. You guys think that might be the task?"

"Oh yeah, sure", Jin replied with the sarcasm dripping out of his mouth. "The three, sorry, four, of us against Zeng Sai and his army. We'll certainly be able to beat them." And he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, as long as you don't get in my way", Tang said, and all four of them laughed.

"No, seriously", Jin said. I don't think that's what we need to do. Linmei, what do you think?"

Jin, Tang and Tiang in particular were looking at Linmei now. Tiang saw that she felt surprised by thegeneral attention all of a sudden.

"Well, I think that perhaps we'll have to find a way to cure the Emperor", she said, visibly afraid for the reaction.

"Pfah, rubbish", Tang said. "Nobody can cure the Emperor. The world's greatest doctors have examined him. We, having absolutely no understanding of medicine, except for the treatment of some basic fleshwounds and burns, will certainly not be able to cure him."

"I agree", Jin said, while he put a piece of carrot in his rather big mouth. "Ash pitfl ash it ish", he swallowed, "the Emperor cannot be cured. It's simply impossible."

"Well, what is it, then?", Tiang said.

"I don't know", Jin said. But we'll find out soon enough."

"By the way", Tang said, looking at Linmei, "who ever said you were going to come with us?"

"I... Don't know. Am I not?", Linmei said, a bit embarassed, for it was the trth that Tang spoke.

"Not to worry", Tiang quickly said. "I'll ask my father if you can come with us."

"Beg, more like", Tang whispered.

"What did you say?", Tiang asked.

"Oh, nothing ", Tang replied, smiling.

"Well, by any standard, Linmei, you're coming with us."

"Thank you", she said, and she smiled at Tiang, who felt like his blood turned into ice-water.

Suddenly, a messenger came in. "Excuse me, Prince Tiang", he said, with the deepest of bows. "I'm sorry to disturb you during your breakfast. I bear a message from your father, the Emperor."

"Ah. Well, let's hear it then."

"The Emperor lets it to be known that as soon as you and your three companions have finished their breakfast, you must come to the throne room to be given the important task he has in store for you."

"Thanks. You can go now."

And with a deep bow, the servant left the room without turning around.

Tiang looked at the others. All of them, even Tang, seemed to be nervous.

"So, erm... Seems like you're going with us no matter what", Tiang said, looking at Linmei. "Don't even need to ask him."

"Lucky you, and lucky us, I dare say. Nothing better than a nubile woman alongside you to make a trip more pleasant", Tang said. Luckily for him, Linmei hadn't heard him. Or at least she ignored him. Tiang heard it, though, and he had a hard time keeping his emotions in check. He wanted to shout at Tang, to order him to apologise and never disrespect her like that, ever again. But he didn't want to put on a show. The four of them finished their breakfast in silence.

Tiang, Jin, Tang and Linmei were standing before the gates of the Throne Room. Tiang looked at Linmei, who, to his great annoyance, was standing next to Tang again, and 3 places away from him.

"Second time in 2 days you're allowed in the Throne Room", Tiang said, bending over slightly to see her. "Quite an honour for a relative newcomer. Are you nervous?"

"Just a little bit", she replied. "I don't really see what could go wrong."

"Tiang had a whole list of things that could go wrong. But he didn't say this. He didn't want to look like a coward, and Tang would probably make an irksome remark anyway. The guards opened the gates for the foursome. And in they stepped.

They walked up the red carpet. Tiang saw his father sitting in his throne. He looked terrible. Next to him was The Outlander, his most trusted friend. When he saw Tang's father standing there, he wondered if Tang would also ever stand beside his throne like that. But somehow he doubted it. Their characters clashed almost completely.

They arrived at the throne, and Tiang and the others kneeled.

"Rise, my young friends", Emperor Tien said, albeit slowly and with a lot of effort.

They all stood up. Tiang looked at his friends. Jin was pursing his lips. Tang was licking his lips. Linmei scratched her left eyebrow. Tiang was interested to find out of it was also a tic of hers. But then, he looked back at his father.

"I have asked your presence here today", the Emperor continued, "because I want you four younglings to deal with the single greatest threat our country is facing at the moment."

The attention of Tiang was so extreme that he had to remind not to forget breathing. Next to him, he heard Jin's massive thorax go up and down because of the nervosity.

"The four of you are the future of our glorious Empire. My son Tiang will one day rule over all of you, and you three", while pointing at Jin, Tang and Linmei, "will be his most dedicated servants, but also trustworthy friends. Of that I am certain. This future though, will be hard-pressed. For if we do not act quickly, the Empire will crumble. And everything that I and Georges The Outlander worked for, everything that hundreds of thousands of people have died four, will have been for nothing."

Suddenly, the Emperor stopped talking. He started breathing heavily, and his head fell face down.

"Father!", Tiang shouted. But the Old Emperor raised a hand.

"I'm allright, son. I'm allright." And he raised his head. "I'm just not used to talking so much anymore. Georges, could you take over from me, please? Every wprd feels like there's a longsword cutting through my lungs."

"Certainly, Tien", The Outlander said. Tiang knew that The Outlander was the only one who was allowed to call the Emperor like that.

The Outlander said, with his booming and raw voice: "As the Emperor said, if action is not undertaken soon, our nation will fall. We must do everything we can to prevent this. Therefore we have chosen the four best young warriors the Jade Empire has to offer to set out on a quest that will undoubtedly decide, even seal, the fate of many a living creature.

The core of the problem is this: the Emperor is deadly ill. Although it has been kept a secret, rumours are already spreading about this. The people must not think the Emperor is weak! Otherwise we will soon have anarchists and rebels clawing at the Imperial Army's throat. And what's even a bigger problem: The Horselords of the Plains of Barren Hope, are constantly watching every move we make. If they see a single flaw, a single weakness, a single breach in our defenses, in the morale of the subjects, in the very foundations this Empire was built upon... Then they will unleash an army upon us, so big that one of its calibre hasn't been seen since I defeated the armies of the Big Mountain and the Dragon Plateau in one single glorious victory. You understand the situation we are in?"

They all nodded. Tang raised his hand, he wanted to say something.

"Wait until I'm finished, Tang, there'll be time for questions later.

Now, we need to solve this problem. And there is actually only one real, effective solution. A cure."

Tiang, Jin, Tang and Linmei all looked at each other.

"I thought there was no cure? That you have already withdrawn any knowledge about the Emperor's disease from every doctor in the world?", Tang said, paying no heed to his father's demand for silence and concentration.

"That, my son, is true", The Outlander said, luckily not offended by his son's lack of respect."But we do not want you to find a mere doctor. We are thinking about Celestial help."

"Why do you need us, there are dozens of priests in the Imperial Palace alone", Tang added. His father's patience had quickly run thin, though.

"Tang, I value your opinion, but from now on you will only speak when spoken to!", The Outlander said to his son. Tiang wanted to grin, but he could resist it. Although barely.

"Now then,...", The Outlander continued. "We do have a lot of priests, but they are no use. The heavens do not reply to their prayers, let alone provide us with a cure. Therefore, we want to contact the Great Dragon directly."

They all gasped. The Great Dragon, creator of this world and everything beyond. Did they have to contact her? Tiang could not believe it!

"Of course", The Outlander said, "you don't just call the Water Dragon and then hope that she will reply. No. There are rituals involved, and other procedures. And only one man knows them."

A silence fell. Tiang could almost hear the brains of his friends thinking of who held this knowledge. Then, The Outlander provided them with the answer.

"It is of course common knowledge that Emperor Tien was not able to forge an Empire by his will alone. He needed the help of others. He needed people who fought battles for him, like me, he needed people to get money, resources, and much more. But above all else, he needed a man who could contact the Heavens, so that the mighty Emperor could appease the Heavens, to gain their blessing. The only man alive who could ever open the gates to the Heavenly Realm where the Great Dragon and the other important Gods dwell, is the one who helped Sagacious Tien at the time of the Jade Revolution."

This time, Tiang interrupted. "But where do we have to seek him? Is he even alive at all? Because if you're not certain, this might all be a lost cause."

The Outlander wanted to answer, but the Emperor said something.

"My son, this is not a lost cause. Nothing ever is a lost cause. We do not know for certain if he is alive, but if he is, we know where he will be. Namely in the same place where I found him, all those years ago. To the far North of the Empire, near the Smoking Mountains, lives a priest. An old hermit. He lives there in a cave, with a single apprentice. It has always been like that. The first of them was a priest at a time when the Great Dragon had only just forged the world. He passed on his knowledge to his apprentice, and so on and so forth. The secret of contacting the Great Dragon, was only to be passed on when the priest's death occured. So whether my old friend still lives or not, though I suspect he does, does not really matter. The secrets will be there, in his head, or that of his apprentice. You need to find them, and order them to contact the Great Dragon. Then, you must ask her to cure me, for I fear she is our only hope."

Tiang was overwhelmed. This was much more than he had bargained for. Linmei had been right at breakfast after all.

The four younglings sat in the armory. They were staring at the floor, without speaking. The immensity of the task they were about to face, was pulverizing. Tiang scratched his head. Tiang did not want to look at the others, because he already knew what they'd be doing.

Tiang was enourmously nervous. Of course, he was honoured that he was charged with such an important quest. But he felt unconfident. Not up to it. For some reason, he felt he would fail miserably. And so, fail his father. And doom the Empire. Because Tiang knew that he wasn't ready to become Emperor. He had not yet received Heaven's Blessing. The pressure on his shoulders was almost unbearable. Tiang wondered how the others felt. Jin, whether he believed in it or not, would die for his fellow companions and the mission's succes. That was his nature. Loyalty, was something Jin valued very deeply, alongside courage. His father, Sagacious Tien's brother,was not called Courageous Jien without any reason. Tiang did not dare to think what he had to do, if Jin was not with him. Because Jin was not only strong, brave and loyal, but also very intelligent. He'd be an invaluable asset.

Then there was Tang. Tiang had yet to encounter a better warrior than him. He doubted his loyalty however, and was not sure whether Tang would be ready to sacrifice everything he had. Including his life. Tiang was certain of the friendship they had however. And Tang, who was born 5 days after Tiang, was named after him, in honour of the Emperor. That had to count for something at least. And he would be useful. And if they all would die during an attack, Tiang was 100 sure that Tang'd be the last man standing.

Tiang was of course thrilled to have Linmei with him. She was much more sensitive than Jin or Tang, and she was also an extremely skilled warrior. But how deep her loyalty ran, Tiang could not say. He only knew her for 2 days. Would she be ready for sacrifice? Would she be brave? Would she be a surplus for the mission? Tiang did not know, although he had a feeling she would. Then, the young Prince looked up.

Jin was pursing his lips. Tang was licking his lips. Linmei was scratching her left eyebrow. Nothing new on the outside. But what was going on underneath, surely wasn't as calm as it appeared. Tiang became nervous of the silence, and he broke it.

"So, guys, are you ready? We have to get moving. No time to lose". Tiang tried to smile. For some reason, he failed miserably. He heard Jin sigh.

"No time to lose. Indeed. But where do we need to go? We don't even have a plan yet. We even barely have directions! All we know is that we need to look in a cave in the north of the Empire. We have to cross roads and areas that are probably crawling with thieves, bandits, criminals, pirates,... You name it!"

"That won't be the biggest problem", Tang suddenly said, also looking up, and raiing his eyebrows slightly. "How will we convince the Dragon, if we even manage to talk to her?"

"Good point", Jin replied.

This time, it was Tiang's turn to sigh. "A bit of optimism won't hurt".

"Overconfidence will", Jin replied.

"Okay, okay. We need to be careful. But what else is new? I mean, we're trained warriors, we can pull this off."

"You don't sound very confident in yourself. And then you expect us to believe you? Motivated by your words?" It was Tang who said this.

Tiang didn't like being read like an open book. In fact, it irritated him enourmously.

"Then what do you want me to do?", he flew out against Tang. "Go and sit in a corner, to cry like a baby?"

"Of course not", Jin said. "Let's not start arguing. We've got a long way to go, and the last thing we need is a dispute between the two of you. What do you think, Linmei? Will we be able to pull this off?"

Linmei looked up, surprised that Jin asked for her opinion. She had deliberately not meddled with the conversation. But now she didn't really have a choice.

"We have to", she said firmly. "The Empire depends on us."

"Well, then", Tiang said, "let's get going, then, shall we? At least we know we need to head north. Let's try that direction for starters. I'm sure we'll bump into some more clues on the road."

Tiang jumped up, and grabbed Tien's Justice. He also grabbed his two sabres with which he had trained before receiving the spade. He sheathed them, ready to be used when necessary. He inspected his nails. They had no dirt underneath them, and they looked sharp and lethal.

Jin also stood up. He sheathed his longsword, like Tiang had done with his dual sabres, and cracked his knuckles. He put some heavy boots on, and he tied his long black hair together with a black ribbon.

Linmei also stood up. She was dressed in flexible clothes, giving her legs a lot of movement. She breathed deeply, and then took her long, thick staff from the rack. Then, she looked at Tang, who was still sitting.

Tang then stood up as well. First of all, he put on his Leaping Tiger gloves. He let the claws jump from them, and made them go back in. He always did this, to check whether they still sprung smoothly. He stroke his own short brown hair, and then he took his spear. It was very long, at least 1.5 times longer than a regular one that the Imperial Soldiers used. Its tip was sharp and shiny, and it showed a faint red colour. Tang looked at the others.

"Let's go', he said. And Tiang, Jin, Linmei and Tang set out on their journey. A quest for the Empire.

"Are we there yet?", Tang complained.

"Ask that one more time, and I'm going to kick your ass", Tiang replied, heavily annoyed, although Linmei had to giggle.

"Yeah, like you even could if you tried", Tang replied, also laughing. "But seriously, we've been walking for hours now, and we still haven't left the Imperial City!"

"Are we even walking in the right direction?", Jin wondered. "I mean, the Imperial City is so huge. Who says we don't end up in the Golden Delta, instead of going North?"

"We're going in the right direction", Linmei said. "I know these streets from when I arrived here, and my Father's estate is to the North of the Imperial City. Actually, I think it's funny I know the Imperial City better than you guys do."

"Hey", Tiang replied to his defence, "we were never allowed to leave the Golden Way. These are the Poor Quarters. Do you know what commotion it would cause if the Prince of the Empire suddenly popped up next to a couple of homeless beggars?"

"I've been to the Poor Quarters loads of times before", Tang said. "It's an awesome place. It's full of life, full of death, full of deceit, sex, violence and weird illnesses."

"Yeah, when me and Tang walked here, he felt like a fish in the sea", Jin replied.

"So you guys just disobeyed the orders of my father and The Outlander?", Tiang asked, quite surprised.

"Oh yes. They never found out. Jin suggested to take you with us, but I told him you're not enough of a rebel to do it", Tang said.

"At least I have some moral decency", Tiang replied. He looked at Linmei. He saw that Tang amused her, to his enourmous irriation. "And", he continued, "it's not as if I've missed something. I mean, look at this place. It's total crap. Rows and rows of wooden houses, almost no sanitaries, strange, infected people, filthy taverns,..."

"Tiang, this is the Heart of your future Empire", Linmei said. "It's not wise to speak about it in such a way. If you had been smart, you would've gone with Jin and Tang. It's on the streets where you learn to know your people. And you don't need to have an enourmous sign with you, saying 'I'm Prince Tiang, please don't touch me!'. You could've gone undercover, like we're doing now. You said that this place has problems. You're the Prince. You should fix them, not try to sever every connection with these people."

Tiang kept silent. He felt ashamed. He had tried to impress her with being uppish, but that didnt quite work out. Instead, she had reprimanded him. What an embarrassment.

"She's right, Tiang", Jin said. "As an Emperor, you need to see the interconnectedness of all things. Acting like you're above the common folk isn't exactly the best way to do that."

"Oh, so now I'm not going to be a good Emperor because I don't visit the Poor Quarters on the sly?"

"You fail to see the point, Tiang", Jin said.

Tiang became really annoyed. Who were they to tell him what to do? They were his assisstents, nothing more. They had to go where he told them to, to speak when he asked them to, and certainly not start to give him advice he never even asked for! He managed to keep his cool, though, and didn't say another word.

"Let's find somewhere to sleep", Tang then said. "It's starting to get dark."

"Yeah, some kind of tavern.", Jin suggested. "I think this will be the last time in a long period that we can sleep in a normal bed."

"I'm all for it", Tang said, and he yawned.

"A bed with a pillow and sheets always sounds attractive", Linmei agreed.

"What about that place, right there?", Jin said, and he pointed at a large, rickety wooden house, with an old sign which had the name 'Imperial Inn' written on it in already peeling paint.

"Oh, I do love tavernkeepers that can come up with original names", Tang said. "It'll do. Let's go inn. Get it?", and Tang laughed.

Tiang shook his head. Sometimes he really hated Tang.


	6. Wine, women and violence

**Chapter 6: Wine, women & violence**

When Tiang first smelled the air in the inn, he thought he was going to be sick. It was a scent of puke, urine, cheap wine, sweat and even excrement, combined in one foul stench that had everything a human could find unpleasant. Next to him, he heard Tang breath deeply, as if he had just discovered a new delicious perfume. He saw a free table, and sat himself down. Linmei plopped herself down on the chair next to Tiang. He saw Jin and Tang go to the counter. Finally he had a moment alone with her.

"So, you're alright then?", he asked.

What a stupid question, of course she was alright! Why wouldn't she be? She was alright the last time you asked, and nothing has changed ever since! But however stupid the question was, Linmei answered politely.

"I'm fine, thank you." But nothing more came out of her mouth. It almost seemed like she didn't want to speak with him! She was looking at Tang's back. Did she rather do that than talk to the heir of the Imperial Throne? Tiang couldn't understand what he had done so swrong to deserve this kind of treatment from her. Did he make such a bad impression on her? Perhaps he had to ask her about her history? What she did before she came to the Palace? Yes, that would be a better strategy.

"Erm. Who trained you actually? Because, I mean, well, you're just an awesome fighter and all. I mean, it would take someone very skilled to train you like that."

"Me? I trained under a certain Weaponmaster called Tehmelo. An excellent teacher. He was an absolute Master when it came to wielding a staff. He taught me everything I know about staffs. But of course I didn't only learn from him. I learned my Legendary Strike style from a certain Master Gujah, and I learned the manipulation of ice from a priest called Abbott Mely. So I basically had more than one trainer. And they all helped me to become the warrior that I am today."

"Well, they've earned their money well, I must say", Tiang replied, to which Linmei smiled. Tiang felt a lot happier. Apparently the 'asskissing' method worked well on her.

"Here ya go!" And Tang slammed three bowls of wine on the table. He held his own cup in his hands.

"What are you having?", Linmei asked Tang.

Why did she start talking to Tang? She was talking to him, not that arrogant pig! Tiang felt very frustrated. Again.

"Tea. That's what I'm having. I hate alcohol. It messes up your mind. It doesn't allow you to think straight. And I certainly don't want to be robbed by a mob of bandits while I'm drunk."

"You just can't take booze', Tang, admit it", Jin laughed.

"I'd rather not be able to take alcohol than not to be able to take a good fight", Tang replied. "And I don't see what's so good about wine, either. It doesn't even taste good, and your motoric skills suffer."

"Sorry about this boring piece of alcophobic, Linmei", Jin said, still chortling.

"Oh, I certainly don't mind", she replied. "In fact, I think it's admirable, your teetotalism."

"In the name of the Gods! Why does she have to approve with everything that Tang does or says!", Tiang thought. He had just about enough of it.

"Tang, can I speak to you for a moment?", he asked.

"Sure, I'm standing right here, ask away", Tang replied.

"No, in private."

"Oh. Well, why not?", and Tang emptied his cup of tea at one gigantic gulp, and followed Tiang to an empty in the corner of the tavern out of Jin and Linmei's earshot. Tiang sat down, and Tang followed his example.

"Tang, my friend. Do you remember what I said to you last night?"

"You said a lot of things, Tiang, what do you refer to?", Tang said, still not really knowing what this was about.

"I'm referring to the one thing I said about Linmei. About me wanting to marry her, and everything that revolves around it."

"Oh. Yes, I still remember that. You tried to scare me, didn't you?", Tang said with a grin on his face.

"Yes, well, I'm sorry about that. But you have to understand this, Tang: all my life I've been overrated. Just because I'm a Prince, people expect me to be the best at everything. But in has never been that way. You always were the best fighter. Jin always was the smartest. My magic is weak at best, and... Well, I just don't have the capacities people want me to have. And next to that, being afraid of my power, some dumb poets even described me as 'beautiful'. We all, me included, know that's not really true. But people who've never seen me before think I can do everything that is expected of me. They don't know what kind of a disappointment I am. But I've grown accustomed to all of this. I've come to a stage where I don't even care what people think about me. Except for one person, Tang. And that person is Linmei. And I'll tell you how it is, without any palliatives. I love her. And I want to marry her. I want her to become my wife. It's all I want right now."

"Next to curing your father, I presume", Tang remarked.

"Yes, obviously", Tiang said with a smile. "But that's not what this is about. Not now anyway. It's about you taking away from me what I want most."

"Hey, Tiang, now you're accusing me of something I didn't do. I am not trying to pick her up, or anything."

"No, but she likes you, Tang. She likes you and she wants you. I can see it in her eyes. I can see it when she looks at you, talks to you... Her body language tells me everything about it."

"Well, you have to blame her for that. Or yourself. But certainly not me."

"Look, I'm trying to get noticed by her, but as long as you're around, she doesn't even know I'm there."

"So, what do you want me to do?", Tang asked.

"Do me a favour, Tang. And make her dislike you. Turn her away from you."

Tang grinned. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am", Tiang said, with an emotionless face. "If you do this for me, I'll make it worth your while when I'm Emperor."

"Make it worth my while? How?"

"I'll build you a palace of your own, filled with everything you need. Hundreds of courtesans that you needn't pay for. New ones every day. I'll even fulfill your need for blood if you wish."

"What makes you think I have a need for blood?", Tang asked.

"I don't know. Because you sometimes act like a bloodthirsty maniac, I guess."

"Heh. Well, I can't deny that."

"So, do we have a deal?", Tiang said.

"We have a deal", Tang said, while nodding. And he shook Tiang's hand to clinch it.

Tiang felt relieved. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. Tang stood up, and walked back to the table. Tiang immediately followed him.

When Tang arrived at the table, Linmei had a question for him. She wanted to start talking, but Tang held his hand out, to shut her up. He then walked to a table with two girls without any other companions. Without even talking to them, he grabbed the head of one of them, and kissed her on the mouth. Then, he sat himself down in between the two girls. Tiang averted his eyes. He couldn't watch any more of it. But at least it was effective. He looked at Linmei, who had seen all of it, and thanked Tang from the bottom of his heart. She looked almost depressive. Tiang sat himself down at their table next to Jin.

"That Tang sure is a ladies' man", Jin observed.

"Yeah, he sure is. The prospect of violence and murder must've made him horny", Tiang said. "But, Linmei, why the long face?"

"Oh, it's nothing", she responded.

"Now, would you just look at that!", Jin laughed, while pointing at Tang.

Tang had grabbed the two giggling girls, laid them over his shoulders and took them upstairs.

"We won't be seeing him for some time", Tiang said, and laughed as well.

Linmei sighed.

_Two and a half hours, 20 bowls of wine and one rough romping later..._

A trio entered the tavern. Tiang looked at the door to see who it were. One of them was a woman, who was easily 7 feet tall. She wore green clothes, and had a huge sword swinging at her hip. Tiang's first impression of her was that she was quite pretty. But when he looked at her closely, Tiang could see that she was bad news. She was very muscled, although Tiang suspected that Jin was a little bit more brawny. But she seemed very imposing.

Her two companions were no different than her, although Tiang was sure they were just following their mistress. They walked behind her like two dogs trip after their master.

"Look at them", Tiang said and he pointed at them. Jin looked up, and Linmei, who was almost entirely wasted from drinking too much, snorted.

"They look like they've been standing in the wind for too long with their mouths open."

"Don't let them hear you", Tiang said.

"Ah, there's a familiar face", Jin said, and he pointed at the stairs. Tang came down, still putting on his shirt. He walked towards their table. He said hello, and put his Leaping Tiger gloves on.

"So, did anything happen while I was going up and down?", he asked.

Linmei wanted to reply, but Tang put his hand up, and said: "I asked it to Tiang and Jin, so if you don't mind..." Linmei looked mad. Tiang was revelling in this.

"Well, it has been quite calm, actually. The three of us ate something. I was actually just going to bed."

"What, already?", Tiang said. "It's not even midnight yet."

"When we're on the road, we'll need all the sleep we can get", Linmei said.

"Hah", Tang replied to this. "What do you know about being 'on the road, missy? The only road you've ever been on is the one between your make-up room and your flower garden. So don't tell us what we should do or shouldn't do, okay?"

"Hey, Tang, take it easy on her", Tiang said, hoping to gain Linmei's appreciation. "You don't have to insult her."

Tang shrugged, and sat himself down.

"Excuse me", a deep, dark voice said behind Tiang's back. Tiang turned around. It was the woman who had entered a couple of moments ago. Tiang had to hurt his neck in order to see her face, that's how big she was. The same counted for Tang, Jin and Linmei.

"Can I help you?", Tiang asked, not knowing if up there, she could understand what he said.

"You guys are sitting at my table", she said without any sign of emotion on her face.

"Your table?", Tang said, and he stood up. "What makes you think this is your table?"

The woman walked over to Tang. Tang barely reached her breasts.

"Do you know who I am, kid?", the woman said. "I am Xiao the Lethal. Talk to me like that again, and you'll see why I'm called that way."

Tiang swallowed. He had heard that name before. She was one of the most wanted criminals in the Imperial City. She had robbed dozens of merchants, killed guards, kidnapped children, and even raped some priests. Tiang looked at Jin. He didn't seem to be impressed, but Tiang knew that Jin would never let someone notice that he was afraid or intimidated, even if he was.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Madame Xiao", Tang said to the giantess with sudden exaggerated courteousness. "We will remove ourselves from our table as quick as we can. Hurry up, lads!" And he gestured the others to stand up and move to another table. Jin, Tiang and Linmei stood up, and they all walked towards another table and sat themselves down, while Xiao and her two companions installed themselves.

"Good call, Tang", Linmei said. "It's better if we don't draw too much attention."

Tang suddenly stood up again, and turned around. He walked straight back to the table they came from. Xiao's two bodygiards saw him coming, and Xiao turned around. Tiang wondered what was happening.

Tang already knew what he was going to do. That Xiao had had the guts to boss him, Tang Breydel, around. The only reason he had moved Jin, Tiang and Linmei, was to get them out of the way. He was going to show her!

"What do you want now!?", Xiao said to Tang. "Haven't I been clear enough?"

"Well, ma'am, I was wondering if I could get an autograph."

"Are you kidding? Do I look like the kind of person that gives autographs?", Xiao shouted, although Tang knew she was already softening up to him.

"Yes, Mistress Xiao", Tang said. "Many a tale I have already heard about you. 'The Great Siege of the Delta Trade Camp', 'The seat of Destruction', and 'The Flawless Fief Robbery' among others. Long have I desired to be near you. For the only thing that can match your strength, power and dominance, is your attractivenes, my lady. Your beauty. Your perfect body. Built like a Dragon, with the face of a Celestial Bureaucrat. Oh, my Lady! Please indulge me! And let me be near you. Let me touch the being that I have come to admire and love, through stories of bravery and beauty."

"Well..." She seemed flattered.

Tang had to grin. She would eat out of his hand if he continued a bit more.

"I guess it won't hurt to indulge a fan. Certainly not such a good looking one. You can touch me, and I'll even sign you an autograph."

"My lady, you grant me the greatest honour imaginable. Being blessed by Emperor Tien himself, could not even be compared to feeling the warmth and strength of your touch, the solace your body grants a weak mortal like me."

Tang approached closer, and closer. And he kissed her on the cheek. He kissed her again, but on her chin. The next kiss he gave her, touched her lower lip. Then, he kissed her on her mouth. She kissed him back, and even put his arms around him! Tang felt how her tongue entered his mouth. She wasn't at all a bad kisser, Tang thought, but playing time was over.

As quick as lightning itself, a claw sprung from his glove, and he stuck it in Xiao's gut, piercing her midriff and damaging vital organs irreparably.

Xiao retreated, and looked at her gut. Blood started to flow from it, and soon her green robe was covered with the crimson fluid. She held her belly, but couldn't stop the bleeding. Her massive body fell to the ground. It gave such a rumble the entire tavern shook. The two bodyguards realized what had happened and drew their swords. Tang let the other claw spring from his right hand glove, and laughed.

"This is where the fun begins!", he shouted.

Damn him! Idiot! Why did he have to do that!? Tiang had just witnessed how Tang had stabbed Xiao with his left-hand claw. Her two bodyguards now started to attack Tang.

A woman in the tavern yelled "Murder!" Things started to get hectic. Tiang quickly ran to the corner where their weapons were lying. He took Tien's Justice and his dual sabres. He threw Jin his longsword, and Linmei her staff. Jut in case they had to defend themselves.

Tiang feared that justmight be the case. Several people who had seen them in Tang's company now also drew their swords and came walking towards them. Jin, Linmei and Tiang ere driven into a corner, while Tang was holding off several people on his own.

"Helpless peasants..." Those were Tang's thoughts when the duo attacked him. One of the bodyguards, the bigger of the two, tried to stab Tang in the chest. Tang turned around towards his right hand side, avoiding the sword and also approaching the other bodyguard. Tang clawed at his face, but the bodyguard averted the incoming attack by holding his sword in front of him like a barricade. Tang leapt into the air, with one claw stretched above him, and when he came down, he unleashed a power attack on the bodyguard who had just blocked him. His sword broke in two, and he fell down. Tang could have finished him, but didn't want all the fun to be over already. So he focused on the other bodyguard who surprisingly didn't attempt to help his comrade while he could have used his help. The bodyguard swung his sword at Tang, but the small guy ducked underneath it. The swinging movement created a huge gap in the bodyguard's defence, leaving the entire area around his upper chest and side unprotected. Tang sunk his claw with unmerciful firmness into the bodyguard's armpit, rendering his entire arm useless. The sword dropped, and Tang picked it up. The other bodyguard saw what had happened, and wanted to crawl away. Tang had no mercy for cowards, and threw the sword at the creeping victim. It hit him in the back of the neck, almost slicing his head clean off, and killed him instanly. He looked at the other bodyguard, who had sunk to one knee. He held his ruined arm with his other one. When Tang approached, he looked at him, with a look of fright and despair. "Please...", he muttered. But Tang Breydel was insensible to begging. He grabbed the head of the man, and he burst into flames for just a second. But the heat and fire he had produced with his hands, scorched the man's face, and burnt his eyes out. The man lay helplessly on the floor. Barely able to breathe before his inevitable death would come.

Tang turned around to see what happened to his friends. Apparently some people targeted them because they had seem them with him. Tang decided to help them out.

Tiang didn't know how much longer he could stand his ground. People were attacking him left and right, and in such a small area he had no space to work with. He hit a guy on the front of his temple with his open palm, paralyzing him. The guy fell down, but soon another one came at him. Tang blocked an incoming sword attack with Tien's Justice. He hit his attacker in the chest with his spade, and looked at Jin, who was fighting off some people without much trouble. Jin was kicking some people in the chest, and many attackers were flying through the air. Tiang decied it would be in his best interests to be near Jin if he possible could. So he fought his way towards his friend, paralyzing 2 persons on the way. He reached Jin, and from this point of view, he could see Linmei. She too was making her way towards Jin and him. She was kicking people in their faces. Graciously, but deadly. Blood and broken teeth flew out of the mouths of the people she hit. When she had arrived, there weren't much people left standing. Tiang now saw Tang. Apparently he had just killed the two bodyguards. He saw Tang running towards the corner where his spear still lay. He grabbed it, and immediately utilised its wide reach to stick it in the back of an unsuspecting man. Tiang felt a little bit sick while he saw it, and turned his attention back to his own welbeing. 3 Men approached them, all of them had drawn their swords. One came at him, one came at Jin, and one came at Linmei. Tiang blocked the attack with Tien's Jutsice. He heard a clashing of steel next to him, so he suspected Jin had done the same. But his own attacker now attacked him again, with a slashing movement. In a flash, Tiang remembered what Tang once had said about a situation like this. So he took a little sidestep, turned around his axis, allowing him to gain speed and power, but also to approach his enemy. He was able to hit his foe with a Paralyzing Palm, and his attacker fell to the floor. Next to him, he saw Jin had cut off the hand of his attacker. Linmei's attacker lay on the floor, with a broken neck. He saw at the rest of the tavern. It was a horrendous spectacle. There were dead corpses everywhere. Most of them had three holes in their chest or belly. One of them, who was unrecognisable, had a scorched face. He saw Tang finishing off one of his opponents. He lay on the ground, stretching out his hand before him.

Tiang shouted: "Tang, don't!", but it was already too late. With a powerful thrust, Tang pierced his heart with his spear. Tiang walked over to him.

"Are you insane? Why did you kill them all?", he asked, totally struck dumb.

"It was them or me", Tang replied.

"Guys, we have no time for this! We have to leave. The Imperial Guards will be here any second", Jin shouted.

Tiang nodded, and Tang walked towards Jin.

"Let's go, then", Tang spoke.

Linmei opened the door for them, and the foursome ran off into the night...


	7. The great fortress of Saed Tisst

_Editor's note: Dear readers (if there are any, that is), I'm sorry for the slow update. Iy's become quite a long chapter, and I had other things I had to attend to. I hope the wait's been worth it._

**Chapter 07: The great fortress of Saed Tisst**

"I've really had it with you", Tiang shouted at Tang. After an entire night of running, they had left the Imperial City (about an hour ago), and were now on the edge of the great Plains of the Seat of Heaven. A huge area of untamed grass stretched out before them, while the four younglings were continuing their quest for the Empire. Tiang was giving Tang a proper dressing down for his action the evening before."You bloodthirsty maniac!"

"Hey, calm down", Tang replied. "If I wasn't there to save your ass, you'd be lying in a pool of your own blood at the moment"

"Wrong, Tang. If you weren't there, we wouldn't have gotten into that fight to begin with!"

"He's right, Tang", Jin calmly interfered. "What you did was dangerous and unnecessary."

"So it's better if we just let people walk all over us?", Tang said, his voice also raising.

"You call it that way, I call it 'not drawing attention'", Tiang replied. "Do you really want to hack and slash your way to that lost priest? That way even you won't reach him alive, let alone us! And I haven't even mentioned the moral issues I've had with your little display in the tavern!"

"Oh, so now you're having moral issues with me?", Tang sneered. "You're going to become Emperor, for Heaven's sake! You need to learn how to get your hands dirty. That idiotic Open Palm philosophy of yours, is as useless as a flea up a priests's ass! It's complete rubbish if you ever want to run this country with any effectiveness."

"The Open Palm philosophy is NOT rubbish", Linmei suddenly shouted at Tang. She had kept herself silent so far, because she felt this was an issue Tiang and Tang had to handle, but she thought Tang had gone too far now. The Open Palm philosophy had been her everything ever since she was born. She had been studying ever since she was able to read, and she had lived her entire life according to it. She had even written essays about it.

"I'm sorry, did I ask you something, Open Palm princess?", Tang intoned.

Linmei kept silent. She felt a bit humiliated and embarassed. A red blush crept up her face, and she averted her eyes.

"Don't talk to her like that", Tiang shot at Tang. Tang grabbed the back of Tiang's head, pulled it towards his mouth, and whispered: "I thought you wanted me to?", and he released him. Tiang pulled away as quickly as he could. He was furious with Tang. He never had felt quite so angry before.

"Don't do that. Ever. Again!", he spoke. "Your disrespect is out of scale. I you weren't the son of your father, I could have let you get executed for that little stunt."

"Well, lucky me, then."

"Tang, that's quite enough", Jin suddenly shouted with a firm voice, and he walked towards the junior outlander and draped an arm around his shoulder. He took him a few steps apart, and whispered to him so that nobody else could hear him.

"Stop taunting Tiang like that", Jin said.

"Oh come on Jin, he's asking for it", Tang responded.

"I know, he may be a bit naïve and incompetent in your eyes, but Tiang just wants to do what's best for everybody. That includes you. And don't forget, he's our future Emperor. It's our duty to keep him safe, not start fighting with him. And personally, I agree with Tiang when he says that's you're being disrespectful. And not only to him, but also to Linmei."

"Yes, I know", Tang confessed. "But I know a solution to all of this". And after those word, he turned around and spoke in a loud, clear voice: "Gentlemen, mylady, it seems that all of you have been having some...issues with my actions the last couple of days. My efforts evidently aren't appreciated. That's why I've decided to leave you."

"What?", Jin shouted, completely surprised. Tiang's mouth fell open, after hearing this.

"You can't do this", the heir to the Imperial throne said, totally confounded. "You swore an oath. You have to be loyal to the Empire and to me. You have to help us."

"Or what?", Tang said defiantly. "Come on, say it. You can't do this without me, and you know it."

"That's rubbish", Tiang said. "It's not because we can't do this without you, it's because it would be completely amoral of you."

"Yeah right", Tang said.

Tiang's feelings of surprise faded away, and the anger started to return.

"Yes, I mean it", he said, his cheeks starting to turn a bit red, as far as his yellow skin tone allowed that. "You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, you accursed egomaniac!"

"I fear, Tiang, you will soon be eating those badly chosen words, Tang replied. "If I were you I wouldn't bet a single silverpiece that the three of you could survive an entire day without me."

"Oh, please, it's not like we're going to get murdered the moment you leave", Tiang shot back.

"Hope springs eternal, Prince Tiang", Tang said, with a little grin forming on the side of his mouth.

"Fine! Leave, then! But remember this, Tang Breydel, remember this well: if we reach that priest, I will ask the Great Dragon herself to smite you down. And if that doesn't work I'll have the entire Imperial Army search for you, until you're dead and buried."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Cheerio, losers", Tang said while putting his hand in the air and waving goodbye, and he started walking back the way they came from. And he left Tiang, Jin and Linmei alone.

Three hours later, around noon, Tiang, Jin and Linmei took a little break after walking the entire time. They had reached the foot of a mountain. It wasn't a rocky heap however. Its entire surface was covered in grass, and Tiang suspected there was a plateau above.

"Perhaps we should go up the mountain", he said. "We'll have a much greater range of sight. Who knows, we might see something that could help us."

"Fat chance", Jin sighed, sitting himself down crosslegged, and unpacking a tea set. "Damn. We haven't got anything to make fire with. If only Tang was here."

"Are you crazy", Tiang asked upset. "This divine silence is a God's gift! This peace, this tranquility, this not-being-upset-about-Tang feeling..."

"Okay, we get the picture", Linmei interrupted. "You're disturbing the thing you apparently value most: silence."

"That's not true", Tiang replied, "I do not value silence above everything else."

"Well, that doesn't change the fact that we can forget our tea and hot-cooked meals", Jin complained, "If we can even manage to find meat... There's not a tree, pool or wild animal to be seen in this place..."

"I'm sure we'll find some food soon enough", Tiang reassured his friend. "I still think we have a better chance if we go up the mountain, though."

"Fine, we'll do that, then", Linmei decided.

Then suddenly, out of nothing, an entire troop of bandits appeared. It seemed like they had been conjured out of thin air, so fast was their inflow. All of them wore the same brown, threadbare rags. They were led by a huge, broad-shouldered, black-bearded giant of a man. All of them were caught off guard. Two bandits with almost identical features and statures grabbed Tiang and knocked him out cold by hitting him on the head with a heavy club. Jin reached for his sword, but it was kicked away by a rather small bandit, who tried to hit him with his Hidden Fist technique. Jin ducked out of the way though, and he hit the man with a brutal kick in the stomach. When he turned around, he saw someone charge at him with a staff, but he was hit by a huge lump of ice, and froze instantly. He turned around, and saw that Linmei was defending herself with the Ice Shard style. She had saved him.

Jin was now surrounded by five bandits at the same time. Two of them were wielding dual maces, one of them a longsword, two others were using a staff. Jin figured that the only way to get out of this, was by using an area attack. He leapt up, and when he landed, he smashed the ground with his fist as hard as he possibly could. The shockwave that it produced blasted all five of them off their feet. Jin singled out the guy that was nearest to him, the one carrying the longsword. He used his chi to create an icey barrier around him. Ice shot from his palms, as Jin had activated the Ice Shard magic style. The bandit with the longsword froze instantly. Jin made the ice disappear, and he hit the statue of ice vehemently. It shattered completely, and the bandit was torn apart. Jin had unleashed a perfect harmonic combo on his opponent. But he wasn't ready yet. There were four others who came after him specifically. Jin took a quick glimpse around. Linmei was bravely holding her own against 6 other opponents. Tiang lay unconscious on the ground, with the bandit leader and two others watching over him.

Jin tried to figure out a way to get to his own sword. He did a corckscrew somersault over the two opponents that charged at him (the ones with the dual maces). He slowed the two others with a Heavenly Wave beam. It wasn't a very powerful one, Tang had only learned him this style a few weeks ago. But it did the job, and he managed to grab his longsword without the bandit leader and the two guards seeing it. Jin found this strange, but he could soon see why. Linmei had just transformed into a fox spirit, and she was now incapacitating her opponents by draining the life energies and chi out of them. Jin noticed from the corner of his eyes an incoming attack from one of the bandits with dual maces. He rolled out of the way, but one of the spikes scratched his side. It wasn't really a bad injury though. Jin blocked an incoming attack that was aimed at his shoulder. He managed to initiate a weaponlock. He pushed the bandit with the mace so roughly away that he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Jin didn't hesitate for a second and drove his blade through the bandit's lower abdomen. The three other assailants weren't finished with him though. The two men wielding a staff jumped at him, hoping to hit him with a power attack. But he rolled forward, and when he had already turned around, the bandits had just landed. Jin rementlessly cut in their flesh with his sword. He carved so deep that he hit their spinal marrows. The two culprits fell to the ground, never to rise up again. But then, without knowing what happened, everything went black before Jin's eyes.

Linmei noticed Jin falling to the ground. He had been hit by a guy with a mace, right on the back of his head. That would become a nasty wound. If he still lived that was... She was still in her fox spirit form, but was soon running out of chi. She had killed three of the bandits in it, and there were another three of them near the unconscious body of Tiang, including the bandit leader. But she felt like she needed a change of tactic, so she switched back to her normal human form. Then, she did something she rarely ever did. She hit her nearest attacker with fingertips she had charged with electricity. It hurt him, and he didn't pay any more attention to her, as small shocks were sent through his body. She hit another one with the Storm Dragon style, and her other opponent, she hit with a supple kick to the head. His neck snapped due to the swiftness of the kick. But then, she also got hit from behind. She didn't fall unconscious though. She wanted to stand up again, but two massive arms, who had to be from the bandit leader, clenched her against his enourmous chest.

"Easy with this one", the voice behind her said. "This one's a pearl. The big boss'll give us a nice reward for her." The bandit leader his voice sounded as if his vocal cords had marinated in a bowl of wine for a couple of years, and then dried in the sun.

Linmei wondered who 'the big boss' was. Then, she came to the conclusion it could only be one man: the Emperor's greatest rival. Count Saed Tisst.

Count Saed Tisst was the owner of the lands just outside the Imperial City. Ironically, Saed Tisst used to a good friend of Emperor Tien. During the Formation of the Empire, Saed Tisst was a general who fought under the command of The Outlander. Apart from The Outlander himself, he was probably the best tactician and warrior the Empire had to offer. He was responsible for capturing the territory around the Grandfather river in the southern part of the Empire, and driving back the Monkey King, to capture an enormous amount of land. When the Empire was forged, Saed Tisst was rewarded with a great amount of land in the Seat of Heaven, the northern province of the Jade Empire. But he soon showed his true nature. He was angry because he felt he deserved more, and began to ask questions about Tien's leading abilities. Emperor Tien had no choice but to banish him from the capital, and order him to remain on the land given to him for the rest of his days. Saed Tisst left the Imperial Palace holding a grudge against the Emperor. But their troubled relationship didn't end there. The Emperor soon found out that the Count tried to make his own laws, and that he enforced them with brutal violence. Civil war loomed, but thanks to the negotiating skills of The Outlander, Saed Tisst agreed to keep a low profile, and he hadn't given any trouble ever since.

"Up until now", Linmei thought, as they bound the three of them, before dragging them over the ground by their feet. Tiang and Jin were still unconscious. Linmei had a bad feeling about this. A _very_ bad feeling.

Tiang woke up. He felt his body slide over a rocky area. He opened his eyes, and looked around. He noticed that his hands and feet were bound, and he was being dragged by what presumably was a bandit. He saw his companions in the same shape. Linmei was conscious, Jin wasn't. He seemed to have suffered a nasty wound.

"Linmei", he whispered, but just loud enough so that she could hear him.

"Tiang, you're awake", she said with much relief.

"What happened?"

"We got attacked by a gang of bandits. They're now taking us to their boss."

"What? They can't do this to us, I'm their Prince! I'll get us out of here after I've explained everything to their leader."

"Don't bother, Tiang", Linmei sighed. "My earlier suspicions were confirmed. This is Saed Tisst's fortress."

"Oh,no", Tiang gasped.

The bandits stopped, and both Tiang and Linmei were pulled up to their feet. Jin was beind dragged somewhere else.

"Where are you taking him?", Tiang asked, "He needs healing, he needs a medic! And what are you going to do with us?"

"Shut up, you", a bandit said while pushing Tiang's head forward.

They currently were in the centre square of the large, rocky structure. There was a lot of activity going on: especially trading merchants and mercenaries or ne'er-do-wells offering their services to those who needed them. The fortress seemed like a small town of its own. Guards marched around the square, carrying their weapons in a conspicuous manner.

"I want to see your boss", Tiang shouted at one of their imprisoners.

"Don't worry, we're taking you to him right now", the bandit grunted. "Get inside!"

Linmei and Tiang were pushed inside one of the gates that led to a small hall with a lot of stairways. The hall was barely lit, and one of the guards, who apparently was a Dire Flame master, used his hand to light the way.

"You'll regret this", Tiang said. "If you don't let me go, the entire Empire will fall."

"Of course", one of their overseers said, "I told the Great Dragon that this morning. But she wouldn't listen to me." He laughed at his poor attempt of a joke, but Tiang could not appreciate the jest.

"That's blasphemy!", he shouted.

"Shut up, boy", one of the guards said while slapping him.

"We're here, the bandit leader said. They stopped at a great wooden door with steel reinforcements. The behemoth knocked, and the door opened. Tiang and Linmei were pushed inside. Only the bandit leader followed them through the door, the rest stayed outside.

The room was rather large, and had no windows. It was barely decorated, save for some torches and a painting that portrayed a young man Tiang did not know, and a man who looked extremely much like an elder version of Tang. Tiang realized that it probably was a painting of Saed Tisst himself and The Outlander. There also was a table with some parchment scrolls on it, and a bed with red velvet cushions and silk sheets. Behind the table, was a man. He had their back turned to them, so Tiang could not distinguish his face. He could only see that he was completely bald, as pale as his yellow skin-tone allowed him, and that he was a small, gaunt, old-aged male.

"The prisoners, boss", the bandit leader said in a clear, booming voice.

"Thank you", the man said with an icey, shaking voice. "You can leave the room."

"Yes, Count", and the bandit leader left, slamming the door behind him.

The old an turned around, and stood up from his chair. He barely reached Tiang's shoulders, and he was very, very wrinkled. Time had done him no favours...

"Prince Tiang, I take it? And the beautiful Linmei. I am truly deeply honoured."

"Save us the coaxing, Saed Tisst. How do you know who we are, and why did you capture us?"

"How do I know who you are? Isn't that obvious, Tiang? I have spies in the Imperial Palace? I know everything. About Tien's disease. And about your quest t save him. I have just one more question..."

"What is it?", Tiang asked through his teeth.

"Where are your other companions?"

"Jin was badly injured while your bandits attacked us. They've taken him somewhere in the fortress. Where is he?"

"Didn't I ask you that question? How should I know, then. He's probably just locked up. If he is badly injured, he probably is not useful to be interrogated... You'll see him in your cell."

"He's going to die, damn it! He needs help!"

"Calm down. You're all going to die here anyway. Now, where is your fourth companion?"

"There is no fourth companion", Tiang said.

"Don't lie to me!", Saed Tisst shouted with so much fury and force that Tiang and Linmei jumped up. "Ahem. I know that you left the Imperial Palace as a foursome. Where is The Outlander's son?"

"He left us", Tiang factually said.

"Good. He'll be hunted down, then." Saed Tisst grabbed a chair and sat himself down again.

"Look", Tiang started, "you really need to let us go. If you know about our quest, then why are you doing this?"

"Because, my silly Prince, I want what's best for the Empire."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, look at the facts. We have a dying Emperor, a callow youth as his successor, and we have absolutely no guaranteed future. I want to change that."

"How?"

"Very simple. If you die, Tien inevitably dies as well. Then, Tien's bloodline will have ended after a single generation. The Outlander, who has become weak, will be murdered by our spies in the Palace. There will no longer be an heir. Then I will step up, and claim the throne. By force, if necessary."

"You're mad", Tiang said. "You want to become Emperor? You think you have what it takes? The people will spit you out."

"Well, then our glorious nation is doomed. One way or another", Saed Tisst said. "But I have more confidence in me than I have in you."

"So what happens now?", Tiang asked.

"Tomorrow, the three of you will be executed. First thing at dawn. Then, I will start a riot in the Imperial City. The Imperial Palace will be broken into. Every member of court will be murdered. I will become the new Emperor, and I will rule this nation with honour, respect, and..."

"How do you dare talk about honour and respect?", Tiang shouted. "You plan to overthrow your Emperor, kill your Prince, and rule a nation without the Heaven's blessing!"

"Don't raise your voice against me, boy", Saed Tisst shouted, while grabbing Tiang's upper throat. "Do not forget that you are the one in chains. Guards!"

The bandit leader and some of the other men stepped inside the room.

"Boss?"

"Take them away to their cells. Right now. I want them under maximum surveillance until the second of their deaths."

"Right away."

Tiang and Linmei were taken away.

They were thrown inside a small room, with three wodden poles. Tiang saw that Jin was already there. They had bound him to the wooden poles, with his back towards the door. He was still unconscious, and his wound seemed to have begun infecting. The bleeding had stopped, but his entire back was red-coloured due to the dried up blood that had flown from the injury. A green, purulent scab was forming over the large wound on the back of his head.

Tiang and Linmei were also bound to the poles, with their heads in the direction of the bare walls. Tiang could barely move.

"We're done for, Linmei", Tiang sighed when the guards had left them. "I failed. I failed my father, the Empire, and I have failed you." He felt a tear well up from his right eye. He felt useless and miserable.

"Don't say that", Linmei tried to reassure Tiang. "We're not dead yet. And I will not let myself get executed without a fight. The moment they come here and take us away, I'm going to escape or die trying. And you too."

Tiang was impressed by her courage, but deep inside he felt it was a lost cause. They were going to die tomorrow. And he felt he needed to get something off his chest before that time would come.

"You know, Linmei. Ever... Ever since I first saw you, I knew that you were the perfect woman."

"Oh, I'm not perfect, far from it", Linmei said.

"Yes, yes you are. And ever since I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful creature ever created by the Gods."

"Really?", Linmei said, a tad surprised.

"Yes, Linmei. And before we get executed like dogs, I just want you to know... that I'm in love with you. And not it's not just some calf-love, no. I'm besotted with you, I'm dotty about you, I'm smitten with love for you. And if we ever get out of this. Well... I want you to become my wife."

Linmei didn't answer. But Tiang could almost hear her brains putting all her thoughts in a queue and absorbing them one by one.

"Linmei?", he asked, hoping for a reply.

"Well", she said. "I am not entirely surprised, Tiang. But I had no idea you had such a crush on me. I knew you found me attractive, perhaps even sexy, but this..."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable..."

"Uncomortable? That's a good one. I'm tightly strapped to a wooden pole, waiting for an execution and you think your love for me makes me feel uncomfortable? No, Tiang. In fact, I'm very flattered. I really am."

Tiang couldn't find the words nor the courage to continue speaking. And Linmei's silence made him suspect that it was the same in her case.

Night slipped by. Dawn slowly started to break. Tiang obviously could not see it, but he felt it through the stones. He was a Stone Immortal apprentice, and with his feet he could feel the outer walls heating because of the sun's appearing glare. It was time. Behind him, he heard the guard unlock the door, and enter. The soft footsteps were accompanied by the ticking of his weapon (presumably a staff) on the cold, hard floor as he marched. He approached Tiang, who could not see him because of the way he was bound to the pole. The man's nose stroked Tiang's hair on the back of his head. It moved to his left ear, and he spoke.

"21 hours, 43 minutes. You owe me a silverpiece..."

"Tang!", Tiang suddenly realized. He had come back! "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you of course, what else?", Tang said, as he stepped in Tiang and Linmei's view.

"Tang...", Linmei uttered in amazement. "How did you find us?"

"Find you? I never let you out of my sight."

"You mean you witnessed everything? And you didn't try to help?", Tiang said sorrowfully.

"What difference does it make?", Linmei said. "He's here now. Quick, cut our cuffs, Tang."

"Not so fast", Tang said.

"What? Why? We have no time to lose", Tiang urged.

"You know, Tiang, there are actually two reasons for me leaving the three of you behind. One of it seems fairly obvious. The three of you need me more than you want to admit. Without me, you'd be dead within a couple of hours. Will you finally acknowledge that fact, Tiang?"

"Yes, yes, of course, now get us out of here!"

"Well, that's better than nothing, I guess. Second reason I did not prevent your capture was a bit different. I wanted to prove a point."

"Which point would that be?", Tiang asked.

"You need to get your hands dirty if you want to be successful. Otherwise, you will never succeed."

"What has that got to do with any of this?", Tiang wondered out loud.

"It's got everything to do with it. You'll understand soon enough..."

And Tang cut Tiang's cuffs with a simple movement of his Leaping Tiger claws. After that, he also freed Linmei and Jin. He carefully laid his friend's body on the ground, with his face to the side.

"He's taken a pretty nasty hit", Tang said.

"Yeah, he needs healing soon, or he'll be dead anyway", Linmei said. "Unfortunately, I've never received medical training."

"Neither have we", Tiang confessed.

"Well, it can't be all that difficult", Tang said. "Look at it like this: we use our own chi to heal wounds of our own. Doctors just either manipulate the chi of others so he can heal their wounds, or they use their own chi to heal the wounds of their patients. Either way, I, an expert chi-manipulator, should be able to pull that off", he added with a cocky grin.

Tang placed his palm on Jin's chest. He closed his eyes, and concentrated deeply. A blue gleam of light formed on their injured friend's body. But it didn't seem to work. The wound of the back of Jin's head was still as purulent, scurfy and gaping as it was before.

"Shit!", Tang violently let out. "There has to be some other way, then", he whispered. "Perhaps if I do...this!"

And he punched his fist into Jin's massive chest. Tiang was so surprised he didn't even try to stop it. A red flash of light came forth from the impact. Tang gritted his teeth as he continued the pressure on Jin's corpus, while the red shine did not fade. All three of them held their breaths. Until Tang pulled his fist back. The red light disppeared, he gasped for air, and Jin suddenly coughed quite loud and opened his eyes.

"You did it!", Tiang said, and he hugged Tang.

"Yes, yes, it's okay buddy, it's okay. How are you?", he asked Jin.

"Tang...?", He brought out. "You're... back!"

"That's right. How are you feeling?"

"Okay. I guess...", and he sat up straight. "I feel strange though. I've got this weird headache..."

"Well, that's normal after taking a mace to the skull", Linmei said. "But it'll go away."

"No", Jin denied, "it's not that kind of headache. It's as if new things were implemented into my brain. I feel much stronger of mind, much more focused and much more... agressive. It's really odd."

"Well, you'll sure be needing agression if we want to get out of here", Tiang said. "But tell me, Tang, how did you actually get in here?"

"Well, at first I snuck inside the fortress. But when I arrived here, I had quite enough of it. So I silently hit the guards unconscious, and then made them an offer they couldn't refuse. And then nicely unlocked the door for me."

"What did you offer them?", Jin asked the small prodigy.

"A quick and painless death", Tang said as cool as a cucumber.

"Tell me you're joking", Tiang said while shaking his head.

"Not at all", Tang said enthusiastically. "And believe me, they chose that option voluntarily. The other option was to be violently gutted and afterwards strangled with their own bowels. The large intestine around the throat, the duodenum up their noses, and so on and so forth."

"You never cease to amaze me, Tang", Jin laughed.

"It's not funny", Tiang remarked. "Besides, we need to get going. It's going to be light pretty soon. If we're quick, we might escape without anyone noticing."

Tiang walked towards the door, but Tang blocked his exit.

"Not so fast", he said. "You're not going to let Saed Tisst get away with this, are you?"

"What other option do I have?", Tiang said.

"Well, you could kill him. Out of revenge, and out of precaution. If you don't kill him now, he'll be an even larger problem in the future. We need to settle accounts, Tiang."

"There's no time for it", Tiang said. "We've got our quest to think about. I do not want to risk it by undertaking some stupid act of vengeance."

"You do walk into these things, don't you, Tiang?", Tang said, and he went outside of the prison cell.

"Guards!", he shouted. "The prisoners are escaping! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"What are you doing?", Tiang said while pulling back Tang by the shoulder.

"Look", Tang said. "Your weapons are in Saed Tisst's private chamber. You need Tien's Justice back, Tiang, or you will not succeed in your quest either. So basically, I'm doing what's best for our mission.

Deep inside, he knew Tang was right. About everything. Saed Tisst could become a big problem later on, perhaps it would be for the best if they dealt with him now. And he indeed needed Tien's Justice back. It completely slipped his mind. Without it, he probably would not be able to convince the priest to summon the Great Dragon. It was proof he was the Emperor's son after all...

"So what do we do now?", Tiang asked. "We're hopelessly outnumbered."

"Tiang, my boy, it's clear you know nothing of warfare", Tang said. "This cell exits to a long, small corridor. It's hardly wide enough for two guards to stand side by side. In that small passage, their numbers count for nothing."

"Looks like they're coming", Jin remarked, upon hearing the thundering footsteps of hundreds of guards. There they came. A bandit, heavily armed. Upon seeing the sight of his two murdered fellows (their throat had been slashed) he let out a roar filled with rage. He charged at them. The other guards followed his lead, but had to line up, because they couldn't stand next to each other.

"Get behind me!", Tang commanded. "This is going to get hot!"

Tang burst into flames, and Tiang, Jin and Linmei sought shelter in the corner of the prison cell.

The first bandit had nearly reached them. Tang formed a ball of fire around his fists. He let it circle around his hand and then it got bigger. Much bigger. It grew until the fireball had a diametre of at least 1 metre. Then, Tang shot it at the bandits. The entire corridor filled itself with a red-hot searing flame. Every single bandit was burnt to a crisp. Tang kept the flames coming. Even the temperature in the cell reached an unbearable degree. Tiang got difficulties with breathing, but then Tang stopped.

"You can come out. They're all dead. But I suspect there are still some guards hiding just around the corner."

Tiang stood up and looked out of the cell.

"By the Heavens", he brought out. The walls of the corridor were blackened. On the floor laid the scorched, burnt and very dead bodies of those that had just tried to attack them. Their faces and corpses were beyond recognition.

"Impressive", Jin complimented as he peeked his head around the corner.

"Thanks", Tang said. "We need to move on guys. Let's go find Saed Tisst. But Linmei, or you, Tiang, should lead the way. You know where he is after all."

"I'll lead the way", Linmei said. She graciously hopped over the charred corpses. She peeped around the corner to see if there were any bandits waiting for them. "They're gone", she said. "They probably ran to find some back-up."

"Well, no time to lose, then", Jin observed.

"Quite right."

They walked until they were in the main hall of the fortress. It was a lot bigger than any room they had seen before in the stronghold. But like the rest, it was barely decorated. The main gates that probably exited to the courtyard were locked, and a huge stairway was in front of it.

"Odd. I have no remembrance of this place", Linmei confessed.

"Ugh. Please tell me you're joking", Tang sighed.

"Get them!", a voice in front of them suddenly shouted. It was the fortress's militia. They were in large numbers, and they came through almost every door in the room.

"Tiang, you're a Stone Immortal master, lock those doors down so we're not overrun!", Tang shouted.

Tiang did as he asked. He dodged a few incoming blows, and got near the first doorway. He kicked it violently. The entire structure of that corridor gave away and it collapsed, burying at least twenty guards under a big pile of rock.

"Good job", Tang shouted as he ran through two of the bandits at once with his spear.

Linmei had taken the form of a fox spirit again. She was blowing away a dozen bandits in one swoop, absorbing their life energies.

Jin was switching between the White Demon and the Ice Shard style. He was freezing bandits solid and then he finished them with a critical strike.

Tang was just piercing through everyone that got in front of him.

Tiang felt a little bit lost between the action. His companions were so strong that the bandits focused their attacks on them. He had to counter the odd blow here and there, but nothing more. He felt a bit ashamed. He decided he would pull off an amazing attack. He didn't know what yet, but that's what makes a warrior a good one, right? Improvising.

He planted his feet into the ground by putting as much pressure on it as possible. He concentrated as ahrd as he could, and he made the earth tremble. Slightly at first, but the quake began to grow. Bandits started losing their balance and fell over. Jin, Linmei and Tang now could slaughter them at will, because the places they were standing were unaffected by the shockwave Tiang had sent through the ground. Those that tried to attack Tiang were blown away by the ground underneath their feet. He had turned the earth against them. Within two minutes, all the bandits were killed.

"That's... impressive, buddy", Tang said, as he looked at the almost stacked pile of bodies in the room.

"Yeah...", Tiang just sighed. He was very tired.

"Well, we need to keep going, no matter how impressive that was...", Jin said.

And after almost half an hour of searching, Linmei remembered the route. There were five guards in front of Saed Tisst's room, but they were quickly disposed of by Tang, who killed them all in one swift flourish.

"Ladies first", he said as he opened the door for Linmei. They all got in, and they found an afraid Saed Tisst, whose yellow colour had almost faded because of his dread.

"P...please", he stammered, "don't hurt me. I'll do everything you want!"

"Well", Tiang said, "you can start by giving us back our weapons."

"Of course, my Prince, they're right there", he said pointing at the table.

Tiang grabbed Tien's Justice and his dual sabres while Jin and Linmei took their respective weapons back. Jin hung his longsword to his hip, folded his arms, pursed his lips and looked at Tiang and Saed Tisst with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Hey, why does he have a painting of me in here?", Tang said, looking at the portrait of a young Saed Tisst and George Breydel. "I know I'm good looking and all, but..."

"It's your father and him when they were young", Linmei said. "Don't be silly."

"Now", the Prince began, directing his words to the old Count, "give me one good reason why I should let you live."

"S...s...show mercy, please, oh wise and mighty Prince", the count said, and he sat on his knees, literally begging.

"Save me the groveling", Tiang shot at the broken man. "You're a threat to the Empire. Technically seapking, you're a terrorist. An abductor of royalty. I'm sorry, but your crimes can't be forgiven. You need to pay. Tang, finish him!", he ordered.

"No", the young Outlander said determined.

"What? You heard me, kill him so we can get this over with."

"No, he's your kill. It's your duty to deal with him."

"For Heaven's sake", Linmei said, "he's unarmed! Leave him be, he won't be any more trouble."

"No, he needs to go", Jin agreed with his fellow companions. "And you need to do it, Tiang."

With a deep sigh, Tiang raised Tien's Justice. The old man before him had tears in his eyes. Tiang closed his, and with one lethal blow, he split the old man's skull in two.

The foursome stood outside before the emptied fortress.

"This place is a stain upon the Empire", Tiang said. It has to be destroyed."

And Tiang walked towards the outer walls. He made contact with the earth. And the entire fortress collapsed.

"The kid's got potential after all", Tang grumbled.

And the tramps, deadbeats and gypsies that settled themselves in the ruins, called their new settlement 'One Stone'.


	8. Death of a Breydel

**Chapter 8: Death of a Breydel**

After leaving the destroyed fortress, the four companions ventured further north. They travelled for more than an entire day, during which Tiang received praise from his fellows, Tang made lewd remarks, Jin philosophised and Linmei started to regret ever going to the palace in the first place.

After walking for quite some time (the morning they left the fortress was about 36 hours ago), they arrived at a medium-sized city. It had all the facilities a city should have to offer: taverns, stores, houses and even welfare. The only thing it lacked was a law, and the enforcement of it. The city was called 'Heaven's Adjoinment'. The people in the city claimed this was where Emperor Tien descended from Heaven after gaining the Dragon's praise, hence the name. Tiang knew for a fact that this was not the case. It had been much further south, in the Golden Delta, just north of the Grandfather River. The people in that region truthfully held on to this legend, and had named their settlement 'Tien's Landing'. That was the place where the Empire had officially become a nation.

But, by any standard, it was a city, albeit slightly corrupted. And after having walked through the traditional poor quarters with its classic hovels and continuing through the middle-class detached houses, they finally arrived at the city core, which in this case was reserved for the higher society. Tiang never considered himself to be a sybarite, but he caught himself craving for a bit of luxury as of late. Especially after being tied to a pole for almost an entire night, and sleeping on cold, wet grass the afterwards. So he insisted they look for a classy tavern. And so they did. And they found one. It was called 'Tien's Bonhomie'. It sounded very formal, so Tiang figured it was an upper-class lodging house/tavern/restaurant. And in they went...

"Just try not to kill anyone now, okay?," Jin said to Tang, who grinned at this remark.

"Tang, he's being serious," Tiang said with his eyebrows raised.

Linmei was the last one to enter, and she closed the door behind them. Tiang hadn't been mistaken, it was a very lush place. Everything was made out of red silk, so it seemed. The carpet was thick, clean and warm, which was a nice change. Everywhere were little tables, complete with fancy golden touches. The few tables that were occupied, were taken by sumptuous clientele.

A silk-clad counter was right next to them. Behind it was a grump-looking aged guy who peered through his glasses at the foursome, not at all with a look of approval and satisfaction.

"Can I help you?," he grumbled, while twisting his long, grey hair around his index finger.

"Yes," Tiang replied. "We would like a meal and so on and so forth, and a room for the night. Think you can manage that?"

"I don't serve bums, sorry," the man said with a dirty look.

Tiang sighed. He had to confess that he and his friends didn't really look like the royalty they were. He looked around, and to his surprise he saw a painting of his father and himself hanging on the wall. It showed a younger Tiang, but the features were still quite resembling.

"Look," the crown prince began, "I know we don't look like it, but our families have a very imporant position in the Imperial City. We can pay, if that is your concern. And I'll put in a ood word for you when I get back..."

"Oh, really?," the man behind the counter said sceptically, "and who might that be, you highfalutin overspill?"

"See that painting right there?," Tiang asked him while pointing at the picture he noticed earlier.

"Yeah, so?"

"To the right of the Emperor... That boy. Quite indistinguishable from me, isn't he?"

The keeper looked a few times at Tiang and back at the picture. Then, his mouth dropped. He came from behind the counter, and fell to his knees.

"My prince! Please forgive me! I'm not worthy of you..." The man looked like he was ready to cry, and Tiang felt embarassed in his place.

"Yeah, come on, get up on your feet already!"

The other costumers had noticed Tiang and his companions as well, though. They crawled at them, praising and almost deifying them. When they all calmed down, Tiang asked for a bit of privacy. They reserved half of the entire tavern for themselves, and a chamber per person. They finally sat themselves down, after laying their weapons in the corner.

"I gotta say, Tiang, you can be very persuasive," Tang said.

"Thank you," he said. Tang had been very kind to him ever since his he tore that whole fortress down. Perhaps he now respected him more, because of the fact that he wasn't as weak as he believed him to be. And that made Tiang proud. He had never received Tang's approval before. To receive it now, was an honour. It was like receiving an award from the greatest cook in the world for baking the most delicious meal ever.

"I always said that boy has a golden tongue," Jin said with a grin.

"Yeah, whatever, let's just order our meals," Tiang replied. He had never felt this proud before.

After a well-deserved meal which left all four younglings well-fed, they went outside to the little courtyard that belonged to the tavern. Tiang requested that they would not be disturbed, and the tavernkeeper promised to guard the door with his life.

It was a warm night, unlike the night before. They sat on a bench made out of stone, and relaxed a bit.

"How much longer until we reach our destination?," Linmei asked.

"Couple of days, perhaps a week," Tiang sighed. This is the last mapped town, so we need to make sure we have enough supplies..."

"Well, we won't need to drag water all the way to that priest," Linmei said.

"Why not?," Jin inquired.

"Well, we both can make ice, and Tang can melt it for us. So even if there is no fresh water in the neighbourhood, our magic abilities will keep us from dying of thirst. We'll be needing some bowls, some herbs for tea,... That's about it, I guess. We won't need wood, because we have our own private heater right here," she grinned while patting Tang's back.

"If you think I am going to be your little tool, forget it," Tang said with his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, calm down, I was just joking," Linmei shot at him.

"Ah, Linmei, haven't you been long enough with us to realize that Tang doesn't like jokes about his impressive manliness?," Jin spoke.

Jin and Linmei laughed. Tang was staring at the ground, while Tiang was looking up to the stars.

"What are you thinking about?," Tang asked his friend.

"The future...," Tiang answered. "How everything will turn out. I'm really scared, you know."

"For what it's worth, you have my faith. Together, we can do this."

"Thanks, Tang... And just so you know, that's worth a lot to me."

They were interrupted by the sqeaking door that was the entrance to the courtyard. The tavernkeeper was in the opening.

"What's this?," Tiang said upset. "Didn't I tell you not to disturb us?"

"I'm truly sorry, prince Tiang, I just thought you wanted to know right away..."

"What?"

The tavernkeeper stepped forward, and he held out his hand. In it, was a special carrier bird from the Imperial Palace. They were trained to find the people they were assigned to anywhere in the entire Empire.

"Tang...," Jin whispered ,"isn't that yours?"

"Yeah, it is..."

Tang got up, and walked towards the tavernkeeper. He took the bird from the old man and ordered him to leave. Then, he turned around.

"He's got a letter around his foot," Tang noticed, and he relieved it from the tired animal (which, by the way, was a splendid pedigree red and green eagle).  
"What does it say, Tang?," Tiang asked curiously.

"Yeah, read it out loud," Jin proposed.

"Very well..." Tang unrolled the parchment, and he took a deep breath...

"It's from the Emperor himself," Tang declared.

"My dear Tang. Tragedy has struck our glorious nation, which is in deep mourn. I am sorry to inform you, that your father has been the victim of a bandit raid while hunting rodent demons. He did not survive the attack. The culprits have left without leaving any trail..."

Tang looked up from the paper, at his friends. They all were in shock. Tang's hands started trembling, and the parchment with them.

"Oh, God," Tiang mumbled. "I'm so sorry, Tang." And he walked to his friend, and gave him a comforting hug. To his surprise, Tang didn't try to shake him off like he usually did. He hugged Tiang back. He seemed almost paralyzed.

"I'm sorry too, pal," Jin said, while putting his huge arms around them both. Linmei felt a little awkward. She did't really know whether she should also try to comfort Tang. She didn't want to step beyond her station. After all, they didn't know each other all that well...

Finally, the three princes let go of each other. Tiang and Jin both had tears in their eyes. The Outlander had been a very important person in their own lives as well. They felt grief-stricken, and Tiang couldn't even imagine what Tang was going through.

"Does the letter say anything else?," Jin asked Tang, who was dumbstruck, and just staring in front of him. Jin's question seemed to bring him back to consciousness though, as he looked up at him.

"No, no," he whispered. "There's more."

"Read it, then, Tang. It's best to know all the facts...," Tiang advised.

Tang held the parchment in front of him again, and started reading the letter aloud again from the part where he left off.

"I, myself, have lost my greatest friend and dearest companion. I've known your father for almost my entire life, and he was the first person to gain my full trust, which he has never, ever betrayed. Your father and I first met when we were teenagers, about the same age you are. My own father, who was the king of a little nation called 'Monkland' had invited him over, because he was the son of a legendary adventurer, Jan Breydel, who had once saved my father's life. The nation he came from, 'De Zuiderlijke Neederlanden' was a corrupted place, and your grandfather didn't want his son to grow up there, anyway. So, it was arranged that he would come and live with us. And the very day we met, we were friends. A friendship that will last forever, even after his tragic demise.

Your father soon excelled in every single form of combat, just like you do. He quickly became famous, if not notorious for it. That, and his sexual escapades I might add. Oh, you remind me of him so much...

When I came to him with my plans of forming an Empire out of the scattered states we used to live in, he immediately agreed to join my cause. And during the Jade Revolution, he proved his worth. His military ingenuity was incredible, and he smashed each and every resistance with lethal accuracy and effectiveness. If he had not been there to help me, I'm quite sure the Empire never would have been formed in the first place. But The Outlander won battle after battle, claiming huge parts of land, and persuading a whole list of allies who agreed to join our cause. While I was dealing with the Gods, he made sure I didn't have to worry about what was going on beneath my feet.

Then, when it was all over, we started to live a life of peace and quiet, in the Imperial Palace. A relative one, of course, because your father liked his freedom. Especially his freedom on sexual aspects. But I always looked past that. Besides, when he met your mother, he became monogamous. For the first time in his life.

I'll tell you something about fate, Tang. Fate is a very strange thing. Your father, The Outlander, my sister Harmonious Jien and I, Sagacious Tien, were never able to conceive a child. For years and years we tried, but we just didn't manage... Until some 17 years ago. In two single weeks, my sister was pregnant, my wife was pregnant, and your mother was pregnant. Unfortunately, all three women died during childbirth. My brother-in-law even committed suicide. But I believe their souls are inside you, Tiang and Jin now. The three of you are a gift of the Dragon. When I see three men, consumed of old age conceive a child with three women that are also in their sixties, I don't see coincidence. I see fate. I am certain, this was all written in 'The Books of Destiny', written by the Celestial Dragon. And therefore, I'm sure the three of you are meant for great things. I believe in all of you. While the loss of your father is a terrible tragedy, things will only get worse if you can't convince the Great Dragon to cure me. Therefore I urge the four of you, and I hope The Lotus Flower is doing well, to do your very bests. We will bury your father exactly one week from now. He will be remembered as a true hero. My sincere condolences. Sagacious Tien."

Tang rolled the parchment back into a scroll. He looked at Tiang and Jin respectively. And then, he collapsed. He fell to the ground, and he cried. Big tears rolled out of his eyes, and he started to twitch. Tiang cried as well, and so did Jin. Linmei was also touched, but she couldn't know what they were going through right now.

What hurt Tiang the most, was to see Tang. The most powerful warrior of this age, was lying there, on the ground. An emotional mess. Crying. Like a baby. He had never seen Tang outing his emotions before. Certainly not like this. To see him in the state he was in now, was just painful.

Jin was the first to gather his spirits. He grabbed Tang, and pulled him up. Tang could barely stand on his legs, but Jin supported him to prevent him from falling down again.

"Come on, pal, pull it together," he said. "You're stronger than this, come on!"

Tang stopped crying, but he was still sobbing. He put his arms around Jin's neck, and he buried his eyes into the massive shoulder of his friend.

"My father's...dead, Jin...," he murmured, his voice shaking.

"I know. But nothing will alter that fact at the moment. We have a task at hand. There'll be time for grief later, first we gotta finish our job."

Tang pulled back from Jin. "NO!," he shouted. "No! I will not let this rest, Jin. I'll be damned if I let this rest. I need to go. And I need to find those who did this."

"Come on, Tang, that's not fair," Tiang said. "We need you, I think you proved that. And now you want to leave again?"

"Not fair, huh?', Tang said, whose sadness had departed and made way for anger. "I'll tell you what's not fair. Your father sitting on that luxurious throne of his, eating goddamn ox testicles with cream, getting teenagers to do his dirty work, while my father gets fucking murdered while doing his goddamn hobby! And me, instead of being with my father and protecting my old man, am saddled up with some stupid, doomed-to-fail pointless quest. With this squad of virgins!," he added while waving in the direction of Tiang, Jin and Linmei, and with a face that expressed nohing but fury.

"Be careful what you say next, Tang," Tiang warned him.

Tang seemed to calm down a bit. His breath became a little slower, and the red colour in his face disappeared, as did the smoke that had begun to sprout from the palms of his hands.

"I'm sorry. You just have to understand, Tiang, that I will not rest easy before I have my vengeance. Right now, I am consumed by hate. And if I cannot go back to the Imperial Palace and find out who did this, I will endanger the mission even more. I have to do this."

Tiang wanted to reply, but Jin stepped in.

"We understand, Tang. We'll be able to do this."

"Yes, you will," Tang agreed. "I've seen what you can do, Tiang, your potential is unlimited. Unlock it, and you will all be fine. But me... I gotta go now."

"When will we see you again?," Linmei suddenly asked. She felt sad about Tang leaving, although she understood his reasons.

"You will see me when the blood of his murderer has alloyed the earth of the Jade Empire."

And with those words, Tang turned around and left them. And this time, it was not a test. Tiang, Jin and Linmei were on their own. And they were scared of what was to come.

Editor's note: Thanks for those reading this. Special thanks as well to Freesourceful, whose site has inspired a great deal of this fic (especially the georgraphical and celestial references).

I know this chapter contains lots of information, and perhaps not enough asskicking, but this is a very important chapter, one that has been playing through my head even before I began writing chapter one. Anyway, I repeat: if anyone reads this: thank you!


	9. Disciple of the Dragon

**Chapter 09: A disciple of the Dragon**

The morning after Tang's second departure, the atmosphere between the three companions was that of a funeral. Tiang and Jin still mourned for The Outlander's death, and Linmei was also deeply saddened. But that was rather because Tang had gone away. Linmei felt strange. She felt butterflies in her belly every time Tang was around, even though she didn't really like the kind of person he was. Tiang, however, who had declared her love for her in Saed Tisst's fortress, she did not really fancy. He was not really handsome, and he didn't have an attractive physique. Jin was not really handsome either, but he had the body of an Adonis. Tang had both looks and physique, but a rotten character. She was a bit ashamed of the fact she preferred looks over a person's inner self. But Tang was gone now, and she was still on a mission. A mission that would grant her honour and status beyond her wildest dreams if they succeeded. So they ventured forth. They left 'Heaven's Adjoinment' and went further North, without speaking a lot. The only times someone spoke, it was about which they direction they should take. But they kept going north. Until evening fell.

"I'm exhausted," Tiang said, and he sat himself down on a lone rock in a grassy terrain. The landscape had barely changed, and they hadn't even seen mountains. Not even in the distance.

"Are you sure we are going in the right direction?" Jin asked his nephew.

"Look, North is the only clue we have, okay?" he said. "Just go North, they said. That's what we're doing. It's not my fault we don't have wings."

"Okay, okay," Jin soothed, "calm down, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Anyway," Linmei intervened, "we are stuck here for the night. It's getting dark and we need to rest."

"Jin, get a fire going, will ya?" Tiang half requested, and half commanded.

"Sure thing, but I'll need some wood," Jin said, and he looked in the distance for some trees. "But it seems there isn't any," he ascertained, and he sat himself down of the grass that was still warm with the sun's hot glare. He laid himself down on his back. The grass tickled him between the scapulae, and it annoyed him, so he laid himself on his side, with his face turned towards his companions. He was very tired.

Tiang stood back up. He had been carrying something with him the entire day, and he couldn't hold it any more.

"Linmei, can I talk to you in private, please?" he said, and without waiting for an answer, he walked a couple of yards to the side, out of Jin's hearing range. She followed him hesitantly, not knowing what to think of it. She went to stand in front of him, and Tiang got a lump in his throat. He observed her from head to toe, swiftly, not wanting to give the impression he was staring at her. But he noticed her beautifully shaped, long legs, her broad hips, her flat belly, her big breasts, and her arresting facial looks. Tiang's heart skipped a beat. He loved her more than he could bare.

"What do you want to say?" she asked him, while rubbing the back of her neck with her right arm. Tiang noticed how muscled she was when she tightened her limbs, but how flat her body was when relaxed them. He shivered at seeing such perfection.

"I..." he stumbled, trying to find the right words. Linmei noticed it, and helped him out.

"Is this about what you said to me in the fortress?" she asked, with her eyebrows raised.

Instead of affirming it with words, he nodded slowly. But a silence fell, and Tiang sensed it was a bad silence. So he spoke without thought.

"Linmei, I am sorry if I caught you by surprise. I know it was wrong of me to express my feelings so quickly and in such jocular a manner. But the fact remains that you are beautiful to me in everything you do. And I can't change that." His heart was pounding in his chest, beating against his ribs, as if it were fighting its way out. Out of his body. To Linmei's. But she already had his heart. Figuratively speaking.

Linmei wondered. Never had she seen a man, or boy for that matter, so passionately in love with her. She had had lovers, and boyfriends too. But none had ever felt the same way for her, she was positive about that. "There is no need to be sorry," she said with a caring smile. "There is no shame in expressing your feelings, and there is no wrong way to do it. And I am truly honoured to be loved by the heir to the Emperor's throne," she added, which was the truth. The truth, however, was also that she didn't love Tiang. And she feared she never could. She feared it, because she wanted to love Tiang as passionately as he loved her. But she didn't. And love can't be forced upon someone, she knew that from her previous experiences. But she swore by the August Personage of the First Origin that she would try until all hope was lost.

Tiang felt a glimmer of hope. Hope of a future. A future with her. Linmei the Lotus Flower.

"When I become Emperor, you shall have my empire," Tiang gasped, trying not to faint because of the breathlessness forced upon him by her close appearance. "You shall have everything you have ever desired. Your every wish shall be fulfilled. All you have to do, is let me into your heart, and hold it tight."

Linmei wondered. Again. It was true what he said. But he couldn't give her one thing: the thing she wanted most: love. She would receive it, but she would much rather give it. She felt guilty for torturing the prince in a romantic way, but she also had her own interests to think of. And all the luxury in the world meant nothing, if there was no mutual passion.

"So, Linmei the Lotus Flower," Tiang stumbled, "will you? Will you become my wife, and rule the Jade Empire with me?"

Tiang looked deep into Linmei's eyes. Deep, dark holes that sucked Tiang in like a pitch-black vortex. She opened her lips of deepest red. But no words came out. And then, without another second's thought, he kissed her. Their lips touched, and Tiang felt like the dark of the night exploded with light. It seemed like the fading sun ignited, and shot forth hot, blazing sparks that set his body and the entire landscape around them on fire. And much to his delight, Tiang felt she was kissing him back!

"Ah, what the... Why not?" Linmei thought, as the Prince kissed her passionately. She wasn't aroused, not even attracted. "But he remains the Prince, and the future Emperor," she thought, as she lured his tongue inside her mouth with hers. Their tongues met. Linmei felt Tiang's body temperature rise. He felt extremely warm on the outside. She slightly bent her knees, hoping Tiang would grab her and hold her more tightly, because she felt very uncomfortable right now. He did. She closed her eyes, hoping that would give her more pleasure. It didn't. No matter how much he, and she, tried, she just didn't warm up to Tiang in ways of attractiveness. And deep inside, she knew why. Deep inside, she knew who she desired. But she shouldn't think about him. Not now! She focused back on her lover. He removed his lips from hers. "Finally," she thought, but she replied with a faint smile.

"I love you," she heard him say, though her mind was elsewhere. With the boy she desired.

"Just pretend it is him," Linmei desperately thought, and she pulled Tiang back towards her. She hugged him, and kissed him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. "Just think of him," she said against herself, and she did so. She kissed Tiang back, but she felt more fire inside of her, this time. She desperately wanted to fall in love with Tiang, but she couldn't. And she didn't want to be a prick-tease. She didn't want to hurt Tiang. And she had responsibilities. She had a family to look after back at home. Tiang would be an excellent provider. So she _had_ to love him! It was why she was sent to the palace in the first place. But here she stood, thinking of someone else to increase her passion while kissing the prince of the Jade Empire. She thought of her heart's desire once more, a man who was miles away by now. She saw him better once she had closed her eyes.

"Tang," she softly whispered, but Tiang heard it, and suddenly broke their hold.

"What did you just say?" Tiang said, astonished. He could not believe it. They had been making out, kissing each other passionately, and this was all she had to say? The name of his well-endowed friend? Why did she do that? Did she pretend to be kissing Tang instead of him? It had to be! Tiang felt betrayed, and an anger he had rarely felt before took possession of his heart. Always Tang! Always him! Even if he doesn't mean to, he finds a way to make Tiang's life worse. And by going away, he took the heart of _his_ love with him. And Tiang let hatred for the pale warrior dominated his heart and mind.

"Sorry," Linmei quickly said, trying to find an excuse," I just misspoke, okay? Your names are just so much alike, I... Come on, don't turn away from me," she said as she tried to stop Tiang from going back to Jin. When she looked at his facial expression, she was shocked. On the place where she had only minutes ago seen a face full of passion and desire, she now saw a look full of contempt, envy and raw disdain. She despised herself for it, and didn't blame him. She had used him.

Tiang turned around, not granting her another look. A tear welled up in Linmei's right eye, and softly rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, and she looked up at the stars.

"Moon Concubine," she said gently, "let your daughters light my way, and ignite my heart with love for him."

"What just happened here?" she suddenly heard a voice behind her ask. It was Jin, she noticed as she turned around. She stared at the big teenager, and his massive chest as he approached. She saw the look of confusion in his big, brown peerers.

"I... I messed up," she confessed. "I... We... We kissed."

"Are you such a bad kisser he runs away from you like that?" Jin asked with his eyebrows raised.

"No, of course not," she said, not really appreciating the comment. "We kissed, but I was thinking of someone else," she stumbled, and she blushed.

"Who was it?" Jin seriously asked her.

"Tang," she mumbled and didn't dare to look at Jin.

"Ah," the big man said with a deep sigh, "that explains."

"How come?" Linmei wondered out loud.

"Well, Tiang and Tang have a troubled history. They've always been good friends but when it comes to love, passion, etcetera, they're rivals. And believe me, Tiang has never won a single battle in their ever-waging war about love and bodily desire. I remember one time, about three years ago, Tiang was madly in love with a new female servant. At first, he tried to control his feelings, as you know: servants aren't really women that are suited for someone of his position, but after a while he gave in to his feelings, and he declared his love for her. They were romantically involved, and at one time, they planned to make love. So, Tiang went to the place agreed upon, and there he found his love. Sitting on top of Tang's... Well, you get the picture. And there have been several cases like this."

"Gosh," Linmei brought out, feeling even more guilty than before.

"Yeah, Tiang was pretty hurt back then, and it took him a while before he forgave Tang. But he did. I think he's just afraid history is repeating itself. And I honestly can't blame him for that. Just give him some time, he will come to his senses. He's way too gentle to carry grudges around."

"You know, I really _want_ to love him, Jin, it's just..."

"He's not as good-looking as Tang, and he doesn't have my physique. I know. And he knows that too. That's exactly what bothers him. He's got all these birthrights, he's destined to become the new Emperor, but it all doesn't matter to him. He's not the conqueror and dominator his father is, he's not the warrior, nor the wooer The Outlander was, and he's not the smart, intelligent, witty scholar my mother used to be when she was alive. From all the great examples he could have learned, or inherited, he received mediocrity. And that pains him, deep inside. While people say I have my mother's intelligence and my father's courage and Tang is the spitting image of his father, they used to refer to Tiang as Sagacious Tien's 'son'. Nothing more."

"I guess being a prince doesn't automatically come with happiness, then..." Linmei spoke, with a trembling voice. Hearing Jin pained her even more, because now she knew how much she had hurt Tiang. After everything he had already been through at such a young age.

"Certainly not," Jin seriously replied. "And now that he's met you, the most attractive woman our nation has to offer, a fact no one, not even I, argues with, he has finally found his true heart's desire. You have to understand that his heart has already suffered a lot. I guess it's all just becoming a bit too much for him. He's under a lot of pressure as well, with his father being sick, and everybody having such high hopes for him. He's afraid he can't fulfil those hopes, I think."

Jin stopped talking. He looked at the stars, just like Linmei did some moments before.

"But how about what he did at Saed Tisst's fortress?" the girl asked the big prince. "I mean, he clearly showed signs of great power. Even...," she hesitated before speaking the name, "_Tang_ praised him afterwards. That has to mean something."

"One grand deed does not wash away a lifetime of failure. Failure in his own eyes, that is, because personally I consider him as a remarkable man. You may not find a lot of physical strength or magical power in him, but he is one of the kindest, most caring and most loving people I know. He inherited that from his mother, without a doubt. That's what The Outlander once told me. And that's how I look at Tiang. He's got all the qualities to become a great Emperor. There are enough brute forces to wage wars and defend borders. But to find such righteousness, selflessness and altruism in one person, is very rare. He just needs to realize this himself."

"Jin..." Linmei whispered.

"Yes?" he said without looking down.

"Thanks for telling me this."

Jin lowered his eyes. He sighed and smiled.

"I just thought you should know this. Also know, Linmei, that I have sworn to protect Tiang. From everything. So... Don't hurt him again. Or you shall know what it is to be hurt as well." Jin's look got a bit meaner, and Linmei suddenly felt immensely intimidated by him. But she quickly calmed down.

"I won't," she assured him.

"You two are destined to be together, I am sure of it. Tang...," Jin slowly said while shaking his head, "You don't need him, nor do you really want him. You don't know what he's truly like, Linmei. I do. Believe me when I say that Tiang is the right choice for you. And as far as I'm concerned, he's the only choice."

Jin abruptly turned around, and returned to his cousin. Linmei was left behind, alone. She stared at the grass underneath her feet, and she cursed her beauty. It had complicated her entire life. It had done her and her entourage more harm than good. The sky had blackened, and she was almost unable to see. The only thing she saw, were the forms of her two companions about 20 yards away. She was afraid and too ashamed to go to them. So she laid herself on the ground, and sniffed the green grass of the 'Seat of Heaven'. It calmed her, and she quickly fell asleep. That night, she dreamt of Tang beating her in combat, after which they made mad love in the grass.

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up," a loud voice shouted, as Linmei awoke from her immoral dream. She looked up, and stared right into the sun's glare, but she could see a big form standing next to her. It was Jin. She quickly got up, and touched her left cheek. It ached. The grass had left traces on it, and it felt like the peel of an orange. She rubbed it, and stared at Jin's back as he walked back to his best friend. She decided to follow him. Tiang didn't even look at her as she arrived. It felt strange. He had always been so warm, open-hearted when she appeared. Now he was... so neutral. She sighed.

"So," she hesitantly said, "what are we going to do today?"

"Advance further north, naturally," Jin replied. "If we're lucky, we might reach the edge of the Smoking Mountains by tonight. From then on, we'll need luck on our side even more if we ever want to find this prophet, or priest, or whatever he is."

"It's... odd that all we received was a direction, though," Linmei wondered out loud. She desperately hoped Tiang would open his mouth. But it was Jin who answered.

"Yeah, well, I guess my uncle's memory isn't as good as it used to be. Normally we would have been given specific details, but... Now we need to depend on ourselves. We should get going now, we've got no time to lose. We can eat something while walking. We won't stop before nightfall."

And so they walked. The silence between them was even worse than the day before. Every time Linmei looked at Tiang, he seemed to avert his eyes. So she stopped trying. The only one who spoke every now and then, was Jin. He commented on the weather, what lay behind them, what they still had to do. But it had no effect, the tension between the prince and Linmei remained.

Jin's legs started to hurt. He was used to a lot, but even his muscled legs could only take so much. He noticed how Linmei's beautiful legs seemed to carry her without any effort, even after such a long walk. Tiang seemed exhausted. But he had been so ever since they started walking.

Evening fell. A black curtain with silvery dots spread itself over the light of day and as the last ray of the sun vanished behind the horizon, Tiang noticed something in the distance.

"There they are," he said, breaking the silence that he had been practising all day long and pointing in front of them. "The Smoking Mountains."

Jin and Linmei peered in the distance, and now could see them as well. A huge collection of grey rocks and stones, forming large mountains, surrounded by a mystical fog that was undoubtedly the guardian of the many secrets that dwelt there.

"Finally," Jin said, rubbing his left thigh.

"We should continue until we reach the edge of the mountains, like you said," Tiang decided. "There, we can camp and discuss our strategy."

"Agreed," Jin nodded.

So, they kept on walking. But as they walked, the mountains barely got closer. After an hour of steady marching, the mountains were exactly the same size as they were before.

"It's odd", Tiang said, when feeling the ground. "The earth tells me we're near, but my eyes tell me we're still miles away."

"Damn it," Jin said while plopping down to the ground . "This is great! So we're looking for some priest we can't find, in a chain of mountains we can't reach."

Tiang sat himself down as well, laying his weapons next to him. "Perhaps we just need to wait here," he thought out loud. "I don't think you can reach those mountain just by walking there. They're a sacred place, after all."

"Then how did your father reach them?" Linmei asked Tiang, hoping for a normal reply. But he didn't answer.

"Come on, Tiang, don't be like this," Linmei sighed.

"Look," Tiang said, his face turning red and clenching his teeth, "I'll tell you how this is going to work. We are going to sit here and wait for something to happen, we fill talk to the priest, order him to bring us to the Dragon, and convince the Dragon to cure my father. What you do after that, is out of my interest. You can go suck the Fire Dragon's cock for all I care," he said forcefully with his eyebrows clenched together in anger, and Linmei was shocked by his violent use of words.

"Tiang!" Jin shouted reprimanding his cousin, "don't lower yourself to that kind of talk! It blasphemous, and we don't really need that if we want to convince the Great Dragon, now do we?"

"Sorry, Jin," he said and he seemed to mean it. He let out a deep sigh, closed his eyes, and mumbled something Jin nor Linmei could understand.

"To answer your question," Tiang said after a while, without opening his eyes, "the truth is I don't know either. My guess is that this is just part of the test."

"That's likely," Jin nodded. "But I feel we're just wasting precious time."

Tiang thought deeply of how to reach the Smoking Mountains, and he thought back of the tales that were told in the palace, he thought of the paintings of his father when rising towards the Heavens, he thought of the plays that were performed that told his father's legend. And he distinguished a certain image. His father, standing in a heroic pose, holding Tien's Justice high above his head. It seemed ridiculous, but Tiang figured it was worth a try. He had nothing to lose any more. Not since last night. He stood up.

"What are you doing?" Jin asked, but Tiang enjoined him to be silent.

He mimicked his father's pose like he had seen it on the painting behind his throne. He slightly bent his knees, spread his legs, and did a step forward his his right foot. He held the arm with Tien's Justice in it high into the air, and made an open palm with the other hand, which he held parallel with his shoulders. Nothing happened.

"Damn," Jin said.

Then, suddenly, the ground started to move. They were sucked towards the mountain at an incredible rate of speed, but they didn't lose their balance, nor did their hair wave around in the currents of the wind. It was as if the mountain approached them, not the other way round. They stopped very abruptly, and they were at the foot of edge of the Smoking Mountains.

"Sweet," Jin said enthusiastically, and he touched the rocks at the foot of the nearest mountain to verify their reality. "How did you know you had to do that?"

"Logical thinking," Tiang answered. "Anyway, we're here now. We should find this priest."

"That won't be necessary," they heard a voice from behind them say. In a reflex they all drew their weapons: Jin drew his longsword out of its sheathe and held it above his head so that it formed a parallel line with his right leg he had stretched in front of him; Linmei took up her staff and she held the dangerous head in front of her, ready to strike; Tiang made a barrier in front of him with his Monk Spade.

"Lay down your arms, my friends," the person behind the voice said, and he stepped from behind a formation of rocks. Tiang got a good look at him. It was a man. He was very old, and extremely tall, taller than Jin even! But he was so very thin he seemed like the wind itself could break him in half. He was dressed in a religious Jade gown, of which the front was almost entirely covered by a long, black beard. He didn't seem very old at first sight, but the wrinkled eyes with which he gently smiled betrayed his true age.

"Who are you?" Tiang asked nervously. He felt uncomfortable talking to him.

"I... am the one you're looking for," the unknown man said with his creaky voice.

"Explain yourself!" Tiang commanded.

"I am the Dragon's Disciple. I have been waiting for you, Tiang, son of Sagacious Tien," and he bowed deeply in front of the threesome.

Tiang lowered his weapon, and both Jin and Linmei followed his example.

"Are you the priest we've been trying to find?" Tiang asked, to which the old man replied with a simple nod. "We thought you'd be somewhere deep in the mountains, hiding, not at the edge, waiting for us..."

The priest smiled. "The real test, my Prince, was to reach the Smoking Mountains. Only those who are destined to play a large part in the Empire's future are allowed entrance to this chain. When you held up Tien's Justice, like your father did so many years ago, you identified yourself as the heir to the throne. And you, Jin," he said, addressing the muscled adolescent, "son of Courageous Pin and Harmonious Jien, you have no idea of the greatness that awaits you. You shall be entrusted with that what matters most in this world. But that is of no concern at the moment." He tore his eyes away from Jin, and looked at Linmei. "And you, Linmei the Lotus Flower, son of Count Pon the Vein and Countess Curvaceous May. Destiny has given you an important role in the Jade Empire. You shall be faced with many decisions on the way, but you shall choose the right ones. And you shall have that what you most desire where you least expect it now." He turned away from her. It were cryptic words, but they were all used to that. Every religious man or woman spoke in such a way.

"Please, follow me to my humble hut." He jumped over the rocks with a flexibility and dexterity that was remarkable for a man his age. The three royal children followed him. After about five minutes, he stopped at a small wooden cabin, which he entered. Inside, there was little or no comfort. A thin blanket was on the ground, a splintery chair and table with some bowls placed on it, and a book-case filled with very old scrolls. But the focus of the entire room, was a shrine. It was about 1.5 metres tall, and it radiated a faint blue light. As Tiang approached it, he felt his internal energy replenish, and his head became clearer than ever before.

"So," the priest said, witting himself down on the ground, "what can I do for you?"

Tiang, Jin and Linmei sat themselves down on the ground as well, and Tiang hesitated before speaking.

"We need your help," the crown prince said.

"That figures. What kind of help are you looking for?"

"Well, as you probably know, my father has fallen deadly ill..."

"Ah," the priest interrupted, nodding very quickly and several times, "so that's what this is about. Yes, I have received word of it. But what do you want me to do about it? I'm just a priest, not a doctor."

"We were not going to ask you to cure him," Tiang quickly said, and took a deep breath before speaking his next sentence. "We want to ask the Great Dragon."

"What?" the priest shouted, and he jumped up so sprightly that Tiang was amazed. But he was also started by the old man's reaction. It foretold no much good. The priest seemed to be lost in thought, and he supported his head with both of his hands.

"This..." he brought out, "is unfortunate."

"What? Why?" Tiang asked, his heart pounding because of his nervousness.

The priest sighed, and sat himself back down.

"I have a confession to make," he said with a worried face. "I do not know how to contact the Great Dragon."

But... but...but..." Tiang stuttered, not knowing what to say. Did they made this whole trip for nothing? "But you contacted him before! You did it for my father!"

"Yes," the priest replied, "but I can't do it _now._"

"Why not?" Jin asked forcefully.

"Because," the priest said with a deep sigh, "I do not know the right formula by heart. None of my ancestors did, by the way."

"Then how did you do it before?" Tiang asked curiously.

"To contact the Great Dragon," the priest explained, "you need to perform a certain ritual. That ritual is described in the Six Holy Scrolls."

"Then take those scrolls off the shelf and let's get this over with!" Tiang shouted.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," the priest calmly said. "They were taken."

"Taken!?" Jin shouted. "By whom? Nobody can reach these mountains, you said so yourself."

"Only those who are destined to play a large part in the Empire's future," he corrected Jin. "And if they plan to use those scrolls, they indeed are bound to."

"They?" Tiang asked. "Tell me who they were, where they are now, and if they have the scrolls with them. We'll get them back for you!" he said decisively.

The priest smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said. "And I shall tell you who took them and where you can find the culprits. Now listen carefully. There were three crooks. The first, was Zong the Wicked. He took the first two scrolls to his fortress in the western part of the Seat of Heaven. It is situated in the mountains that form a strip from the North of the Empire towards the South. His fortress is located about 100 miles south of the Northern border.

The second, was Lord Zao the Abated. You shall find him in the same strip of hills, only further South. He took the 3rd and the 4th scroll.

The last two scrolls were taken by a pirate leader who used to terrorize those that sailed the Grandfather River. He goes by the name of Lang the Barbaric. You shall find him at the Southern Border of the Empire, in the last hill of the chain in which these criminals hide."

"We shall bring back these scrolls, or die trying," Tiang said determined, and he stood up. Jin, Linmei and the priest rose to their feet as well.

"I hope so, my Prince. Or else, the Empire is doomed. But before you leave..."

He placed his hand upon Tiang's chest and closed his eyes. It felt cold and dry. Like parchment.

"You are troubled," the priest said monotonously. "I sense greatness in you, young Prince, but it is distorted by jealousy. To be successful, you need to let it go. Only then can you save the Empire and bare its weight upon your shoulders. The justness and even-handedness in you are serious. Do not let these dark emotions that dwell inside you take control of your capacities. Let the goodness inside you prevail." He removed his hand from Tiang's chest, who did not only look surprised, but also put on his proper place. He stared at the ground. The priest walked over to Jin, and laid his hand on his chest as well.

"You are brave," he spoke in the same way as he talked about Tiang. "A darkness is within you, but you control it in an effective way. You are loyal, strong and you fight for what you believe in. Do not stray from your current path, or I fear you will be lost to the world." Jin seemed lost in thought about what this could mean, as the priest removed his hand from his chest. The old man looked at Linmei, and he walked over to her. He placed her hand right above her left breast, and spoke again.

"Linmei, most beautiful of humans, you are torn between right and wrong. The low path looms, but you want to resist it, and take the high path. But the low is so much more attractive to you. Though, I sense a strength and determination in you that will most likely force you to do the right thing. And even though your body has been polluted in the past, purity can be regained."

The priest removed his hand, and he looked at all three of them. "Bare these words in mind during your journey. They will help you unlock your full potential, and fulfil your destiny. But in the end, the choice is still up to you. Be careful what choices you make, for they can affect the entire face of the world. Now, my children, go, and may the Heavens guide you."

An hour later, Tiang, Jin and Linmei stood at the edge of the Smoking Mountains, which were again at an unreachable distance. They hadn't spoken since the priest had let them out. Tiang was anxious. He regretted his actions of the night before, especially since what the Dragon's Disciple had told him. He needed to set some things right.

"Linmei," he slowly said, "I'm... sorry for the way I acted."

Linmei seemed sincerely relieved, and she smiled.

"It is I who should apologize, Tiang," she replied.

"No, that's not true. It is I who has overreacted. And even if you do not love me now, there is still a chance. And hope. Hope I desperately cling onto."

Linmei was happy, and replied: "I shall open my heart, Tiang. And before you enter, I'll let no one in." And she walked over to him, and hugged him. Tiang held his pelvis a bit backwards. She had aroused him, and he didn't want her to get the wrong impression of him. Not again. But he was happy things were as they were before.

"Anyway," Jin said, breaking the two of them up, "we still have a job to do. So, which scrolls shall we get back first?"

"I think we should split up, actually," Tiang said.

"Split up?" Linmei said, confused by his suggestion. "Shouldn't we stick together?"

"Perhaps he's right," Jin said. "It'll go a lot faster, and time is what we need. Besides, I don't think they we need each other's backs. Especially now that you, Tiang, are starting to pull off some crazy, sick fighting moves!"

Tiang blushed. Compliments about his fighting abilities were rare, and he always enjoyed them.

"Okay, if you think it's for the best," Linmei said, still not entirely convinced.

"I'll head towards the Northern edge of the Western Hills," Tiang suggested. "Linmei, you can go to Zao the Abated. Jin, you go to the western mouth of the Grandfather River, to go and kick that pirate's ass." Tiang confidently smiled. "After what happened tonight, I don't believe in failure any longer. Especially not ours. We are destined for greatness. I am destined to become Emperor. You two are destined to rule with me. Therefore, we cannot fail."

Jin suddenly hugged Tiang with one of his broad arms. "You're going to be one amazing Emperor, man," he said.

"Thanks, pal. I suggest we meet again here, in one month from now. That means we have to hurry, especially you Jin,but we can't delay it any longer, for I feel my father is fading away."

"I'll be here with the scrolls," Jin said. "Dead or alive. Preferable alive, though."

"I'll get those scrolls and survive trying," Linmei confidently agreed.

"Good," Tiang said, and he peered at the stars above their heads. The shined brightly, making the expressions of the faces of his companions very clear. Tiang didn't sense any trace of fright in his body, which was remarkable. He wasn't scared to fail. He trusted destiny. He hugged Jin and Linmei, and then the fellowship broke apart, each respective member charged with a quest to retrieve a third of the Six Holy Scrolls.

Next Chapter: Follow Prince Tiang on his quest to retrieve a part of the Six Holy Scrolls

Author's Note: After Tiang's comes Linmei's adventure, and after Linmei's comes Jin's adventure.


	10. I, Righteous Tiang pt1

Editor's Note: Okay, I decided to slice the chapter in half, for 2 reasons: 1) It'd be too long as a whole 2) It'd take lots of time before completion. Because chapter 10.1 is actually one third of the actual 'I, Righteous Tiang'-storyline.

So, here's chapter 10.1, so to speak. Thanks to all my reviewers, you're all awesome. (By the way, notice the X's between scene-transitions? :p)

**Chapter 10.1: I, Righteous Tiang**

"Damn heat," I softly mumbled, as I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my left hand.

I had been marching for an entire day, and the sun had unleashed its blistering rays upon the already dry landscape to give me some company. But it was not appreciated. I peered into the west, but all I saw was brown grass, as far as my eyes could see. It wasn't a very comforting sight. With a sigh, I sat myself down and took a draught from a flask of melted ice. It was still deliciously cool.

I took a map out of my backpack and looked at the distance I still had to cross. Right now, I was about 10 kilometres away from the border that separated the grassy area of the Seat of Heaven with its rocky, mountainous deserts. If my instincts were correct, that is. I just had to reach this border and head south. Simple as that.

"Come on, Tiang, one last effort for today..." I said to myself, and got up. And with renewed courage, I continued my march eastward.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Finally, a village," I thankfully said, as I entered the borders of what seemed to be the settlement of a tribal community. "This sure is strange," I whispered to myself. "Not a single human being around here. Not even a monkey or a dog..."

I leaned against the walls of what seemed to be a barricaded home. Another thing that attracted my attention. Every home was closed. Locked. From the inside and from the outside. This was really, really starting to intrigue me...

Wondering what was wrong, I knocked on one of the doors, not knowing what to expect. I wasn't even sure there were humans inside. But I soon got a response.

"What do you want?" a high, obviously female voice shouted. "Leave us alone, just take it and go!!"

"Take what?" I asked, immensely confused. I had no idea what on earth she was talking about.

"Just go!!!" she shouted, even harder. But what really struck me, was the terror that was accompanying the sound of her voice. This woman was obviously mortally afraid, and for what it was, I could not tell. But it was obvious she wanted to be left alone, so out of respect for her, I did as she asked. I backed away from the door, and at that moment, I caught the sound of a loud thud coming from the East. I estimated it was only a couple of houses further, but I couldn't see which house it was.

I ventured forth in the direction of the strange noise, and as I progressed I started to hear voices. Human voices. Voices that were obviously not behind closed doors. I hoped they could tell me more about what was going on here.

After a minute of walking, I saw a square. "The town square, obviously," I reasoned, and my heart relieved itself when I saw two men outside of the big house that was the main focus of the village.

"Hurry," one of them said. "They're coming!"

"I'm working as fast as I can! Don't rush me!"

I approached them, but as soon as they were aware of my presence, they shot up and took on a hostile stance.

"What do you want, stranger? You don't belong with us, nor with them, I can tell. Or are you a new one?" one of them asked me. I frowned. I had no idea what he meant.

"My kind sir, I really don't know what..."

"Forget about him," the other man said, "let's just finish up here. If I were you stranger, I'd turn around and never come back here."

"But why? Why ain't I welcome here?"

The man who asked Tiang who he was sighed. "Look, boy, we'd like to tell you, but we're in a hurry. They're coming! You can take shelter in our house, if you want, but that's it."

"That's very kind of you, sir, but I don't.." I replied, but I was cut off by the other man who screamed and jumped up in terror.

"Oh, no! I can hear them coming! Quickly, Jejna, go inside!"

The man whose name was Jejna and his companion quickly got inside, and locked the door.

There I stood, in the middle of a town square. I shrugged. Perhaps it was some sort of annual celebration of a certain event. Perhaps they were some sort of superstitious wacko's. I cared little. It was none of my concern. I had other tasks to fulfil. Then again, if it was a celebration, why did they barricade their homes and hide?

But then, I heard something I hadn't heard in a long, long while. The clatter of hoofs on the sandy, dusty roads the village was covered with. It was soft, though, and I found it remarkable the man I just saw was able to hear it from that far. Some figures on horseback emerged from behind a couple of houses. They were dressed for battle, but somehow I knew it was solely for the purpose of intimidation. These wannabe soldiers saw me, and looked at each other. The one who was riding in the middle gave a small nod, and they circled up around me. I began to feel a little bit nervous. What did they want from me? And were they the ones that stroke terror in these people's hearts? And why?

"Well, peasant. Care to explain why you're not behind closed doors, as we told you to?" the guy in front of me asked. I had to repress a grin. 'Peasant'. I was never called like that before. Obviously they didn't know who I was. And I had no intention of telling them. Not that they would believe me if I did...

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir, I am just passing by. I am a stranger to these parts."

"Really now?" the same man, who obviously was the leader, inquired. "And what even brings you to these parts to begin with? This inhospitable landscape isn't really attractive, you know."

"I am just an adventurer, sir. Just trying to make a living."

"But so are we, boy. So are we. Men, you know what to do!"

I was actually afraid they'd all charge at me with their blades drawn, but I was lucky. They didn't. Instead, they got off their horses and began to attach large bags I hadn't noticed earlier to their horses.

"What's that?" I curiously asked.

"You know, that's actually none of your business. But since you don't seem to pose much of a threat I shall indulge your curiosity. We are loading up the rice these farmers have harvested for us."

"Why would they harvest rice for you?"

"That's an easy one. If they don't, we kill them."

"What?" I asked, perhaps a bit too loud.

"Yes, they're taxes. These are the lands..."

"Of the Emperor, and you have no right to impose your own taxes here!"

The bandit didn't really like my cross reaction, and I could tell quickly enough.

"Be careful, boy. You've got a big mouth, talking to me like that!"

I didn't care. I became very indignant and I lost my temper.

"You're all scoundrels, the lot of you! In the name of the Emperor, you should be lined up and executed! Stealing the rice of these poor farmers who are trying to make ends meet just so you can enjoy your life of luxury and plunder! Filthy swine, that's what you are! You should be ashamed."

The leader of the bandits grinned and dismounted. He was easily three feet taller than me, but I cared little about his length.

"You've got some spirit, boy. One word of advice: turn around and leave this place. That'd be best for all of us."

"Not for me, it isn't."

"Well, that's a shame, then. Are we fully packed? Let's go, boys!"

The bandits were indeed finished attaching the bags to their horses, and were looking to ascend their mounts.

"Halt!" I shouted. "No one leaves here with a single grain of rice! Over my dead body!"

The bandits all stopped, and looked at each other. Then, they all started to laugh out loud.

A bit surprised, confused, but most of all angry and upset, I looked around.

"I mean it!" I yelled, drawing my dual sabres from their sheaths.

This seemed to stir something. The bandits all drew their weapons or conjured rings of green toxic around their wrists.

"Hold it!" the bandit leader said. "I will deal with this kid. Tell you what, boy. If you can defeat me, we shall leave the rice and not bother these people any more. If you can't beat me... Well, you shall know the consequences of that soon enough!"

"Agreed," I said in consent. I didn't realise I was thinking irrationally, but I had little choice in the matter. It was too late to chicken out.

"Very well," the bandit leader said, as he drew a giant broadsword from his back. "Let's settle this."

I swallowed. I didn't like this at all.

The man swung his broadsword at me. I rolled out of the way. He planted it in the ground, and I took advantage of his immobile status by throwing one of my sabres at him. Unfortunately, his arm had such a wide reach he took it by the handle. The blade itself was directed towards his face, but it was nowhere near even scratching him. He threw my sabre to the ground, and pulled his broadsword out of the ground with a powerful tug of his right arm. He drew himself up, and slowly walked over to me. Hoping to take advantage of my speed, I leapt over him, hoping to be able to attack him from behind. But he managed to grab me by the waist in mid-air and slammed me down so powerfully it knocked the wind out of my body.

The bandits around us cheered, and I knew I had lost. My opponent held his menacingly sharp broadsword to my throat.

"You lost, boy. And I didn't even have to try hard."

I was mortified. He seemed ruthless.

"But fear not. I have no intention of killing you."

"What?" one of the other bandits shouted in disappointment. "Why not? Just finish him, so we can have a bit of fun, eh?"

"No!" he shouted. "I shall let him live with the shame of defeat pursuing him, and the chimera of achieved honour paining his thoughts. Besides, Count Zong ordered us not to kill anyone this time. We need to keep a low profile."

My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened. 'Zong'? Perhaps he was talking about Zong the Wicked!? The bandit leader read the surprise off my face.

"Why, you seem taken aback, kid. Do you know Count Zong?"

"Do you mean.. Count Zong the Wicked?" I asked hopefully, but afraid that the up and down movements of my Adam's apple would touch the extremely sharp blade that was still hovering closely above my throat.

"Indeed," he said, and he stood up, removing the blade.

"Yes," I said. "I know him. Not personally, though."

"Then you must know, that he is not to be messed with. But remember this, kid: next time I see you and you try to stop us, I won't be this forgiving. Let's go, men!" he shouted. They mounted their animals, and rode off, with the harvest of the poor farmers bumping against their horse's thighs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What you did was brave, stranger, but foolish," the old man whose name was Jejna said to me when he helped me up. "Those thugs are bullies. They want to control us."

"Yeah, I've noticed," I replied, while wiping the dust off my pants.

"Come on, join me and my family inside for a cup of tea."

"Sure. Thank you, kind sir."

I followed Jejna inside, and followed his example by sitting down at the table that took up most space of what I presumed to be the living room. But I immediately rose to my feet again when 2 women entered the room. I presumed they were Jejna's wife and daughter. They were followed by the man I had seen earlier. I could now see he was much younger than Jejna, which made me believe he was his son, although he looked a lot more like his mother.

"Wee, Jene, Zu,... This is... I'm sorry, I don't think you've told me your name before...?"

Erm, its... Jin," I quickly said. I didn't want them to know my real name. I wasn't sure why. Tiang wasn't that uncommon a name in the Jade Empire. But just to be safe...

"Jin, it is, then. Jin, these are my wife, daughter and step-son."

I quickly observed his daughter. She was somewhat chubby, but it complemented her female curves very well. She was quite pretty too, but she was not in Linmei's league. No woman other than her was.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, stranger," Wee and Jene chorused in unison. Zu just greeted me with a small nod.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Jejna suggested. Not knowing what else to do or suggest, I sat myself down again. Jene took the chair next to me. I caught myself looking at her breasts for a second. They looked very soft. I had to expel some erotic images from my mind, when Jejna asked me a question.

"So, Jin, what is your business here?"

"Well," I answered, "I'm just a warrior, a wandering adventurer trying to scrape enough food together to starve a few days longer."

"Ah, but so are we, my boy. Life has become difficult for us, especially with that bastard Zong making life even harder on us."

"Why do they want taxes, anyway? They're not allowed to..."

"Of course they're not allowed to. But the law isn't enforced around these parts. We're too far out from the Imperial City. The arm of the officials don't reach this place. Word has it that the Emperor has lost his interest in the western part of the Seat of Heaven..."

"That's not true!" I replied, way too fanatically.

"How do you know?" Zu sneered, confirming my suspicions he didn't really like me.

"Well, erm... He's the Emperor, isn't he? It's his job to care about us."

"Yeah, right," Zu said, accompanying his sceptic words with a faint, mocking grin. "Either he doesn't care, or either he can't do anything. Either way, we're screwed."

"I wouldn't say that," I argued. "But... Could you tell me a bit more about the exact situation here?"

"Well," Jejna said, "there is little to know, really. It's been going on for a couple of years now. Every time we harvest our rice or other things, they come to claim half of it. If we don't give it, they'll kill us and take all of it. So, we give it to them."

"And why does everybody barricade their home?"

"Fear, of course. The first time they showed up, they ran over some people with their horses, threw fists of poison in open doors, stuff like that. They just wanted to send a message. But we're all afraid things like that will happen again."

"Hasn't anything been done to stop them?"

"Stop them?" Jejna said on a tone that was much cooler and much more serious. "Why?"

"Simply because! What they're doing isn't right! So why does nobody stand up and fights for justice?"

"We're just farmers, kid. No soldiers."

"So you prefer it if they just walk all over you?" I asked, with a red blush starting to form on my cheeks.

"I prefer being walked all over on, than being beat down AND walked all over on."

"But... This injustice shouldn't be allowed to continue!"

Jejna let out a deep sigh. "I agree. But we'll talk about it later. It's getting late. I'm off to bed. By the way, stranger, tomorrow we're celebrating the new season. I'm sure the other villagers won't mind your presence. Stay with us for a while, it'll be fun."

"Thanks, sir, I will," I replied. I figured this place was a good way to gather some more information about Zong the Wicked. I just didn't understand the way these people allowed themselves to be walked over. To me, a Prince, someone of royal blood, born to be a deity's replacement on this Earth, it made no sense at all...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jin!" I heard someone shout. "Jin!"

Annoyed, I turned around, and mumbled, something. "Jin, for Heaven's sake, someone's calling you..."

"Jin, I'm talking to you. You have to get out of bed!"

Shocked, I realised they were talking to me. I opened my eyes, and saw Jene, Jejna's daughter, sitting on the edge of the small bed I was given yesterday evening.

"Good morning," she said.

I blinked, and the image of the world around me sharpened. I was lying in a very small room, on an even smaller bed, with a woman sitting next to me. The materials were cheap. Unpolished pine. Low ceiling, too. What a contrast with my bedroom in the Imperial Palace. It made me shiver and smile at the same time.

"How are you doing?" Jene asked. "Are you recovering well from the beating those scumbags gave you yesterday?"

"Well, erm..." I was a bit embarrassed. It didn't like to talk about failure. That was also one of the reasons I never spoke a lot. "I'm recovering very well, thank you. Just a bit stiff in the right shoulder, but that's about it."

"Oh dear," Jene said, and she reached for my shoulder with both her hands. I straightened my back a bit, sitting some inches higher. I was surprised by what she did and felt very uncomfortable. Slowly, she began massaging my right shoulder, which luckily wasn't at the far edge of the bed.

"How does that feel?" she asked.

"Eh... Great," I said, according to the truth. It felt surprisingly well, and I closed my eyes to intensify the feeling. Her strong fingers pushed the stiffness out of my muscles and I could almost swear she was manipulating my right shoulder with her chi.

"So, Jin, tell me about yourself."

"Well, there isn't much to tell," I replied, not really knowing what to say. I was getting more nervous with every passing second. "I was... born in a village South of the erm... Grandfather River, yes, yes. I've... travelled a lot since then, and... That's about it."

Jene smiled. "You're a strange man, Jin," she said. "You seem to have the courage of a thousand soldiers, yet you are as shy as a newly-born puppy."

"Shy? I don't know what you're talking about," I said with a languid voice.

"I think you do," Jene said, and with a firm sweep, she swung her left leg over mine, and sat on me. I tried to crawl away, but she held me by the shoulders. "See what I mean?" she grinned.

"Well, erm... I don't... What are you actually doing?" I stammered.

"Seducing you of course, you silly boy. Can't you tell?" she said with a lascivious smile, and she softly stroked my left cheek with her right-hand fingertips. Then, with determined keenness, she grabbed my crotch with her left hand.

I let out a cry of pleasure and amazement, and jumped up, throwing her off me. Luckily, she landed on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Jene asked with confusion.

"I erm... It's just that, I've... You know. I already have someone else." I didn't know if it was shyness, fear or sheer hope that made me say this, but I just couldn't do it. I loved Linmei, and I would not throw her away for a quick satisfaction of my own lust.

"Well," Jene said. "In that case. I've never been rejected before, you know, certainly not like this..."

"It's not your fault," I quickly said. "I just can't do it."

Jene looked at me with one eyebrow raised. Suddenly, she giggled.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You're still a virgin, aren't you?"

I blushed. It was true.

"How cute," Jene said, approaching me. She gave me a peck on the cheek. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," she whispered in my ear, leaving the room. "Oh, and by the way, my father could use a hand in the preparations for tonight's party. It's in the large house across the square," she shouted without looking back. Quickly, I closed the door, and sat on the edge of my bed. I looked around the room, and found it ironic that the girl who lived in this house was as cheap as the materials it was built out of.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thanks for the help, kid," Jejna said when laying the last carpet on its spot. "Couldn't have done it without you. Guests should be arriving soon."

"Who's coming?" I inquired. "Must be a lot of people."

"Yep. The entire town is coming."

"What are you, their... leader?"

"Jejna grinned. "There's no leader here, Jin. We're all equal."

"What?" I said, frowning curiously. "But who takes the important decisions? Who enforces the rules? Who..."

"We all do," Jejna replied. "It's not that hard, you know. You just have to be friendly to one another, and everything lands on its paws."

"But some people must listen to others..."

"Of course. That's a matter of influence. Not a matter of power or authority."

"That's the same," I said.

"Maybe. But it's not official, nor recognised."

"Then who is the most influential man in the village?" I asked.

"Well... That'd be me, I suppose. I guess I've been the closest thing we have to a leader over the years. But I don't like to think in such terms. We've always been a relatively happy community."

"Yes, until some bandits came to rob you off..."

"We've talked about this before," Jejna interrupted me. "Please don't bring it up again."

"Sorry," I said, diverting my eyes from his. I felt slightly annoyed by the old man's unwillingness to do something about the situation.

"Ah, there are the first guests. Jin, get some tea, would you?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, not at all happy with the fact I was being given orders by a peasant. But common courtesy and the sake of keeping up appearances forced me to do so. "Tiang," I mumbled to myself, "when you become Emperor, don't lose people like them out of sight." And at that moment, I made an important decision. I was not going to let these people down. It had to stop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We were all sitting on our knees. Before us, there was a very low table, loaded with food. Next to me, was Jene. She had sat herself next to me without asking, and I wasn't so rude as to tell her to go sit somewhere else. I could not get the image of her offering herself to me out of my head. It seemed so surrealistic. Something that only Tang would ever experience. Of course, I didn't go through with the actual deed. People like Tang, if those indeed existed, wouldn't have any moral objections.

"So, Jin," Jene asked, "how long do you intend to stay?"

"I don't know," I replied, raising my voice to make myself intelligible through the many voices of the villagers. "No longer than a couple of days, probably. I think I'm going to Zong's castle after I head out."

The clattering and bustling abruptly stopped. Almost every villager in the room was staring at me, including Jene. I looked around, not knowing what I had said wrong. Some gazed at me with their mouth half open, some looked with widened eyes. Some others looked with a menacing look.

"Jin..." I heard the demanding voice of Jejna ask at the end of the table, "what did you say?"

"I er... I said, that... I was going to Zong the Wicked's... castle?" I spoke, in a shrieky voice I barely recognised as my own.

"Why? I demand to know why!" Jejna shouted. I was not used to being shouted at, so I felt quite intimidated, even though he was just an old man even I could wipe the floor with.

"I've got a request."

"What kind of request?"

"I wanted to ask him if it was possible to stop exploiting this village."

A loud gasp erupted from the villagers. Apparently I had said something terribly wrong. Because they glanced at me with a filthy look.

"I forbid you to do that, boy!" Jejna said in his cold, unsympathetic voice he used the first time I met him.

"What? Why?"

"Do you realise how dangerous that is? Not only to you, but also to us?"

"I don't see..." I began, but Jejna cut me off again.

"Zong the Wicked is a ruthless demon! He kills anyone who stands in his path! The only reason he hasn't wiped our little village out is because our pathetic lives amuse him. The moment we just raise our hands as a manner of opposition, he will send his soldiers to burn this village to the ground and decapitate every single corpse just to be sure they're dead. Men, women and children alike! Trust me, boy, you do not want to do what you're going to. I forbid you, you hear me? I forbid you!"

"I don't understand," I replied. "You say you're happy, but you live in constant fear. You organise parties like this to create a delusion of richness. You could have so much more! You could actually be free! You can throw off the yoke!"

"No, we can't," Jejna persisted. "We're no warriors. We're no adventurers. We're no magicians or priests. We are farmers. And we can't do a damn thing about it!"

"But I can!!" I shouted forcefully. "I can help you!"

"No, you can't. You're just a kid."

"Why does everyone say that? Why doesn't anyone trust me? I can help you fight those bandits! I can help you conquer them! I would do anything in my power to..."

"That's enough!" Jejna shouted with so much fire in his voice I though he was going to flare up. "We shall leave it at this, or you shall no longer be welcome here!"

"If that's the case," I said, rising to my feet, "I don't want to be welcome here any more." And while mumbling the word "cowards" underneath my breath, I walked out of the door, grabbing my weapons, into the hot night.

"Jin!" I heard an all too familiar voice shout behind me. It was Jene, but I didn't look back. I was mad. Mad at her. Mad at them. Mad at myself. Mad at the world. Mad at Zong the Wicked. Mad at the first law of nature.

"Jin, stop!" Jene said, grabbing my shoulder. She must've ran, I thought, as she was panting and covered the distance between me and the hall in only a couple of seconds.

"What do you want?" I asked, stopping out of politeness. But I was still angry.

"I agree with you," Jene said.

"You do?"

I slowly turned around, facing her. "We've been suffering from those bullies for as long as I can remember," she said. "It's time we put an end to this."

"I can't do this alone, Jene," I observed. "The others won't help me. And I shall need them."

"You said you'd do anything that lies in your power to help us, right?" Jene asked. "If I can convince my father to listen to you and persuade the other villagers, will you still help us?"

"Of course, I replied. "But I don't think it'll be that simple."

"You just wait right here," Jene said with a grin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, then," Jejna said. "We'll do it."

Relief came over me like a waterfall. "Thanks," I replied, slightly bowing my head. "I swear, you shall not regret it."

"I certainly hope so. If this doesn't work, we're all going to be slaughtered, you realise that, don' t you?"

"I do, sir. But we're not going to fail," I said with a determined look on my face. I actually wasn't sure at all, but my pride forbid me to just walk away and do nothing about it.

"Your confidence assures me somehow. And you do look like a man that keeps his promises. We, we shall begin preparations from tomorrow, I take it?"

"Exactly, sir," I said, not really knowing what he meant by 'promises'. But I shrugged off the thought.

"Good. You can go to your room now. Rest."

I bowed, and went to my room.

As I was lying on my bed, thinking of the days to come and the inevitable upcoming battles, I wondered: "What would Tang do?" And I was ashamed of thinking it.

______________________________

Next chapter: Tiang has to form an armed and skilled battalion out of a bunch of peasants. His valour and skill are tested on numerous occasions. How will the heir to the Imperial throne walk away after this experience, if at all...?


	11. I, Righteous Tiang pt2

Author's Notes; It's been over two years since I last updated this sotry, and it's simply great to be back. I lvoe this story so much, and I hate myself for not finishing it sooner! I have rekindled my interest in writing fanfiction, and I hope I can keep it up until I finish all chapters. I don't expect anyone to actually still read this after so long, and with such a dead (albeit great) fandom, unfortunately, but any feedback would certainly help me keep motivated. Thanks for reading this, you are awesome!

**Chapter 10.2: I, Righteous Tiang**

"Right," I said, as the farmers stood in front of me. Men and women alike, with weapons of poor quality, no protection and courage than hung by a thread. It was then, as I spoke my first word, I realized I had absolutely no idea where to begin. It seemed like a fool's errand. Why had I let myself be carried away like this? Why did I suddenly want to stand up for a bunch of commoners who were an insignificant speck on the map of the Empire? Why didn't I think about the greater good? I had set out on a journey to find two of the Holy Scrolls, yet here I stood.

But then I realized. I was here because I was the son of the Emperor. I was to embody all that is great in the world. I was here because I chose to be.

"Which one of you has ever fought before?" I said with renewed courage, yet that courage quickly sunk into my shoes when no one reacted. "Anybody? No?" I let out a soft sigh. I was not about to show my weakness to them. Because they were even weaker. Compared to them, I was strong. How could I ever expect to be successful if they didn't believe in me? How could I expect them to be successful if I didn't believe in them? "Well, no worries, because what matters most in group combat is not technique; not skill. This is not an arena we will be fighting in, but it is your home. Your land! What matters most is courage. Resolve. Cunning. Intelligence. Those are the things we must rely on if we want to beat them. We can not best them if we face them head on. They are warriors, ruthless, fierce, remorseless, experienced. Patience is the key. Tactics will be vital. What you need to know is how to strike a deadly blow. So you can be quick and efficient."  
I was reciting the words I had been taught by my masters in the Imperial Palace. I hadn't been the strongest kid in class, but had a memory like an elephant demon. And even I had to admit the words of his master had sounded great at the time.  
"I will try and teach you to fully use your surroundings. We will attempt to strike from the shadows. And when they have been lured out, blinded by their overconfidence, that's when we will strike. But we will have to be ruthless. Remorseless. We must stoop down to their level if we want to beat them. We must show them the mercy that they would show us. Because our intentions are good. Our intentions are pure. We must never forget that it is they who have come here to rob you, they who who have come here to steal your food and force you to live your life in fear, they who step on you as if you are nothing more than a dirty cloth. I am here to tell you that that is not the case. I am here to tell you that we can resist them. I am here to tell you that we can beat them. I am here to tell you that you can be free!"

A soft cheer of approval emanated from the farmers. I knew I had spoken well. I know I had spoken like a leader.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, how was your day?" Jejna asked me.

"Not bad," I answered truhfully, content I could give that answer without having to lie to the old man's face. "First I taught them basic deadly blows. Then we scouted the area for hit-and-run places. They know the village well. If we plan this carefully, we really stand a fighting chance."

"I have faith in your conviction, Jin," he said to me, for I had not yet revealed my true name and nature. "I am sorry I can not be of any aid to you. If I were 20 years younger it would have been an honour to stand next to my fellow villagers, taking up arms against these oppressors. But I'm afraid I no longer have the fire in me. And I would slow us down, I'm sure."

"There's no need to justify yourself," I assured him, "I understand completely. Everybody in the Empire has his place. Yours is not on a battlefield."

"Neither is theirs. They're just farmers."

"No, but they are where they need to be, and go where they're needed. They do what they can. So do you; there is no shame in that. It is not a crime to be old."

"You are a kind young man," Jejna smiled. "It is a shame you have to live a life without renown. Guys like you should be destined for greater things than... this," he said, adding a vague gesture that encircled the living room in Jejna's house.

I answered his gentle smile with one of my own. The good man had no idea who he was talking to. And that made the compliment even better. He was talking from his heart, unlike the grovelling members of court, who would say everything that would appease me, a Prince of the Empire. But Jejna, just like Jin and Tang, talked to me as a friend. Whenever Jin said I had a golden tongue, I believed it. When Tang complimented my after I tore down the fortress of Saed Tisst, I felt proud. Like I did now.

"I am sorry I can not offer you anything but food and shelter for your services," Jejna continued. "We have a hard enough time with our own upkeep."

"It is of no consequence," I assured him. I wanted to tell him that he had nothing to offer I could possibly want, but I didn't want to sound arrogant. "I am not in this for the silver." Silver was something I had plenty of, back home. After my father, I was probably the richest person in the Empire, and that made my presence here all the more awkward. I was used to grand halls, soft, large beds, hot baths and servants. Now I had to be content with a bowl of rice and a cup of tea. But I didn't really mind, I just thought what my father would say. He'd call it a 'lesson in humility'. An important lesson, one that I was learning well. I had never been in contact with a lot of commoners before I set out on this quest with Jin, Linmei and Tang, but since then I had fought bar patrons, executed a criminal ex-general of the Imperial Army and helped train a bunch of peasants who had better business wielding a pitchfork than a spear. And my quest was nowhere near completion. It should have been when I reached the Smoking Mountains with Linmei and Jin, but fate had decided otherwise.

"I better be off to bed," Jejna suddenly said, interrupting my stream of thoughts. "Might I suggest you follow my lead soon? Nothing like a good night's sleep to revitalize!" he added while standing up and walking towards his bedroom door. It was already late in the evening, and his wife was already sleeping. His daughter Jene and his son-in-law Zu were nowhere to be soon however. I suspected they stayed away because of me. After all, I had rejected Jene only the night before, and Zu hadn't really liked me from in the beginning. He had been part of the group that I had been training all day, but I had felt he was the most reluctant of all of them to follow my orders. Slowly, I got up and made my way to bed. Even though it felt as hard as a rock, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was awoken by soft, sneaky footsteps in the room. I could tell that whoever was walking around was doing so barefooted. My heartbeat increased. It felt suspicious, and I prepared myself for an incoming strike. I didn't know why, but years of sound sleeping in the Imperial Palace, where a servant could be flogged for waking one of his masters, made me a very light sleeper. Years and years of never having been woken unless desired had triggered an internal alarm now that someone was sneaking around my room. It hadn't been much of a problem in the countryside or in the taverns where I had stayed, but I suspected that was in no small part due to the presence of my cousin and... well, Tang, of whom I was no longer sure what he meant to me. I pitied him for having lost his father, but in the end, I knew he was an evil person. And I felt uncomfortable being around him. As if his superiority was being constantly rubbed in. It annoyed the living hell out of me, but it didn't matter much now.

The figure came closer, and I prepared myself. Two steps later I rolled out of bed, grabbed the figure by the wrist and dragged it to the floor. I followed it up by jumping on top of it, pressing it down hard with both of my knees.

"Ouch! That hurts!" it said. I looked closer to see who the intruder was, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out some features I recognised.

"Jene?" I realised, and quickly let her go. I got up, and Jene followed my lead, wiping the dust off her white gown,

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you," I stammered, trying to apologize.

"Are you always this jumpy at night?" she asked. She had traces of a coy smile around her mouth, and I wasn't sure how to react to that. I had anticipated a mad woman whose honour had been violated, but then I remembered Jene was just a little peasant girl, not a stuck-up bitch at court. Somewhat relieved, I let my earlier guard down.

"I don't know what to say," I truthfully answered. "Why... are you here?"

"Company," she simply stated, as she walked towards me. My heart started beating a bit faster. Was she coming onto me again?

"Look, Jene," I continued, as I backed down. "I... don't know what you want from me, but..."

"Oh, Jin," she said as I had reached the edge of my bed. "Cut it out." She gave me a tiny push, causing me to fall on my back. The hard mattress caught me, and I tried to get up using my elbows, but Jene had already planted herself on top of me. Her knees were next to my chest, and she touched the top of my shirt, pulling it softly.

"Look, Jene," I said again, grabbing her by the wrists, "I really don't want to do this. I really don't," I repeated, trying to get through to her.

"Why not?" she answered with pouted lips.

"For the same reason as the previous time you tried to seduce me!"

Jene let out a little laugh. "I thought you were just playing hard to get! You do realize it's usually the guys that have to chase the girls, right?"

"I. Don't. Care. Get off of me."

"Fine," Jene sighed and she rolled off. "I don't understand you, Jin, you could die in a couple of days defending our village, do you really want to die a virgin?"

Her words came somewhat as a blow to me, allowing my earlier doubts to resurface. What she said had been the absolute truth, but I had never fully realised it up until now. I could, in fact, die while doing this. I wasn't a warrior of great renown and skill. Tang could wipe the floor with this band of mercenaries, but he was gone. He had gone back to the Imperial Palace for his father's funeral, and Dragon knows what else. Jin was probably halfway across the Jade Empire by now, and so was Linmei. No one was going to come to my rescue if I failed. Tang had saved me from certain death once already.

And the other thing... I had never felt the warmth of a woman's body either. At least, not in great detail. I had kissed Linmei, if only once, but that was it. And as wonderful and magical as it had been, that was as far as my experience with bodily desires went. Did I _really_ want to die a virgin? Did I even want to risk it? None of those things seemed particularly attractive. But what was I to do? Should I, Prince of the Jade Empire and heir the the Imperial Throne, waste my divine seed on this lowly peasant girl? Should I, Prince Tiang, throw my life away in defence of this insignificant community? Something Tang had once said to me resounded through my mind as loud as a roar of the mighty Dragon. _"Let the weak fend for themselves."_ But it was a low path to follow, I immediately realized. It wasn't the philosophy I was brought up with. It was the right thing to do.

But then there was the matter of Jene. Should I do it? Should I do... her? I looked at the girl. She was staring at the ceiling, as if she was expecting me to say something, but didn't really care what. So I asked her a question.

"Why do _you_ want it? Have... intercourse with me, I mean."

She looked at me, raised her eyebrows and snorted, then immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, but you have no idea how funny that sounded," she added, still grinning.

"Just... a question," I answered. I felt my cheeks were glowing out of embarrassment.

"Okay, I'll try to answer your question in a serious way," Jene nodded, obviously feeling guilty for ridiculing me. "Look, I am a simple girl. My life is simple. The people I hang out with are simple. The guys I meet, they're simple, the ones I have sex with are simple. What do you think I feel inside when someone comes along and tells us we can be more than what we are? You told us we can break free of our chains, Jin."

"Tiang," I suddenly corrected her.

"Excuse me?"

"My real name. It's Tiang. Not Jin. Jin's the name of my best friend."

"Oh. Why did you say your name was Jin?"

"I don't know. I just... I didn't want you to... find out."

"Find out what?" Jene asked, looking really confused. "That you have the same name as the son of Sagacious Tien? We don't really care about that."

"No, it's..." I struggled with my words. I had almost told her that I was, in fact, the son of Sagacious Tien. But what difference would it make? Would she believe me? Would she throw herself at my feet in reverence of my status, would she scold me for being a stuck-up noble? Would she run away, afraid of me? "Look, just forget I said anything," I concluded. "It doesn't really matter."

"Fine," Jene shrugged, which relieved me immensely. I was glad she didn't make a thing out of it. "I understand people have their secrets. At least now you know why I... did what I did."

"Yeah..." An awkward silence fell between us as we both sat on the edge of my bed.

"So..." Jene eventually said, "how about it?"

"By the Dragons, Jene," I sighed, "I don't know. I... For some reason, it doesn't look like the most honourable thing to do."

"I know," she nodded. She got up and walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I asked as she opened the rickety bedroom door.

"I'm going to bed, obviously. Alone."

"Could you... do me a favour and don't tell anyone I lied about my name?"

"Sure thing," she smiled. "Don't worry about it. I don't really understand why you lied, but your little secret is safe with me."

"Jene, I want to thank you for being so kind to me since I got here. You people have all been magnificent. Well, except for your brother, perhaps. But I want you to know that I really like all of you. And that I will do my best to help you."

"That's good to hear," Jene grinned as she walked through the door. And just before she closed it, she added, "because you will be spending a lot more time with us after this is over."

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but I was too tired and already more than confused, so I let it drop. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

I dreamt about raping Jene; then brutally stabbing her to death as I saw my face transform into Tang's and Jene's into that of Linmei's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I spent the next couple of days training the peasants and scouting the surroundings. After about a week or so, I believed we were as ready as we were ever going to be, and Jejna confirmed he could send a messenger to draw Zong's mercenary band here. Jejna believed they would attack at full force, as they always did, to intimidate us as much as possible. I had hoped for that, because it wouldn't be much of a victory if Zong still had more than enough troops at his disposal in his base to come and oppress this village over and over again. The plan was to defeat the bulk of his troops here, and then I would go over to Zong's base to claim two of the six Holy Scrolls. I had told Jejna nothing of my true quest, nor of my true heritage, and I was glad to see that Jene had kept her word and revealed nothing. Her nightly visits had stopped, and her interest in me appeared to have faded. I was surprised to find myself somewhat missing the attention, sometimes even feeling flashes of jealousy when I saw Jene talking to other guys from the village. But then I thought about my duty, my quest and my love for Linmei, and I realised that it was better like this.

9 days after first arriving in the village, I finally took the decision. I walked up to Jejna, who was feeding the oxes. "We are ready," I said as he looked up in surprise. "It happens tomorrow."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were coming. In the distance I heard their galloping horses coming closer and closer.

The villagers were hidden away in a small patch of trees about a mile South. Jejna had taken them there and had left me and those who were willing to do battle behind. They had prepared themselves well, but the reports of the scout that there had been as much as 80 armed bandits coming towards the village had sunk the courage of many. We were about 50 in total, and the only advantages we had were those of surprise and our knowledge of the terrain. At my order and after a full day of training, most of the houses had been booby-trapped. As soon as a bandit would enter a house, their heads would be smashed by a swinging flail. It was a neat little trick I had remembered from an early lesson by Weaponmaster Dahtan a long time ago. He had explained it to me as a joke, rather than something I would actually need one day. And up until a week ago, I never suspected I would have.

We had split ourselves into two groups: I led the first, and Jene's brother Zu led the second. The plan was to catch the bandits off guard, so they could be easily killed. We wanted to lure them inside the heart of the village and let most of the booby-traps spring. If we saw some mercs isolated from the main horde, we'd attack them and kill them, then run back to our hiding place. We had dug many of those, as well as erected fake walls next to buildings and placed crates and bushes we could escape into to remain hidden. It wasn't a great plan, and it probably wasn't going to go exactly the way I had planned, but I genuinely believed we had a fighting chance if we fought them like this.

When the bandits rode into the village, they suspected nothing. We were hidden in the Eastern part of the village, and Zu in the Western part. They came in from the North, riding their horses straight into the heart of the village , the village square. We heard excited cries, some laughed, some jeered. We heard one man issue a loud order. _"Find them_!" he yelled at the top of his voice, and my men and I anxiously waited to see what would come next. Tien's Justice had become slippery because of my sweaty hands. I wondered if the booby-traps would do their work.

The cries of agony and anger affirmed my suspicions. They had done exactly what they had been designed for. This boosted my confidence, and I could tell from the soft mumbles behind me that the rest of the men was inspired by this first show of success. I gestured at them to keep their voices down.

I peeped through the viewing hole our hiding place, a large hole dug in the ground covered by moss, grass, leaves and dirt, provided. I didn't see any of the mercenaries yet, and thought it best to wait until some had approached so we could take them by surprise. I was delighted to see only two mercs coming near our hiding place, both with a longsword in hand. They had obviously all split up, which benefited us greatly. As soon as they had come within striking range of our hideout, I sprang our trap. Without trying to make a lot of sound, I emerged from the improvised hiding place and appeared right behind them. I planted the bladed spade of Tien's Justice in the spine of the bandit to the left. It was an exhilarating feeling to see him go down like that. He only let out a minor cry, but was dead seconds after he hit the ground. The cut had been deep. I dispatched of the second one with relative ease, slashing the mercenary's neck with a swift swipe of my spade. I planted the crescent-shaped end of Tien's Justice into his back to make sure he was dead and wouldn't get up. I signalled my men to get out of the hole,and they did. It was as good a time as any to emerge, there were no mercenaries in sight, and we couldn't stay together in one place for too long. Our enemies had obviously split up in small groups to find us, and we had to take advantage of that. I ran towards the nearest house, using it as cover. The other followed my example, as I had instructed. We were on the edge of the village. Any bandit coming out on this end would fall into our trap. But obviously we couldn't wait for that. I ordered half of my group to stay behind and retain their posts for now, and some I ordered back into our hideout in the ground so I would have backup troops at my disposal in case of an emergency. I, along with five other, went deeper into the village to find isolated enemies we could finish off. After a minute or so we found another two of them, standing over the body of one of their fellows whose head had been bludgeoned by one of my booby-traps. We approached them from behind. I almost decapitated one of them by sticking my spade into his neck. One of the peasant-turned-warriors impaled the other one with a spear. Luckily, their armour was weak.

"So far, so good," I nodded at them.

Then I heard them. Loud screams coming from the other end of the village. I looked up in shock, not knowing what was going on. Then I heard the sound of a gong resounding through the streets.

"Zu!" I realised, and my heart skipped a beat. I had instructed Zu to use it in case of an emergency. I had placed one in each hidden hideout, and apparently Zu and his men had just been discovered.

"What do we do now, sir?" one of the peasants asked. I didn't really know what to do. So I took a rash decision. Something I knew was foolish, but I did it anyway. Stupid heroics.

"Stay here, go back to the others. Tell them to retreat and stay hidden at all costs!"

"And what about you?"

"I'm going to help them."

I don't know if it was a surge of power I felt rushing through my veins or a foolish display of severe overconfidence in my own abilities, but, acting on instinct, I did what I felt needed to be done.

I arrived at the village square, but even my wildest nightmares had not prepared me for the scene I witnessed there. The bodies of dozens of farmers were laid out before me, the mercenaries mercilessly slaughtering those that still drew breath. "_How could this have happened?" _ I wondered. This couldn't have happened. Not if we had stuck to the plan. My attention was drawn to the large man who was standing in the centre of the square. I recognised him immediately, he was the guy who had beaten me the first day I had arrived here. He was holding someone by the neck. Someone who was down on his knees, weeping.

"Zu!" I shouted, drawing the attention of all the bandits, as well as Zu, who seemed to be the last man left alive of the group of peasants.

"Jin!" he shouted with a squeamish voice, "I'm sorry! We emerged too early and got caught. It's all my fault, I'm..."

He was cut off by the large bandit who inserted his blade into his neck. Zu collapsed to the ground, dead before he even hit it.

"No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and the large bandit laughed as he disrespectfully kicked Zu's lifeless body.

"Well, well, well," he grinned. "I recognise you. Didn't I badly beat you some days ago?" He approached me, but I didn't back down. Anger took over my being, and I gripped Tien's Justice tight with my perspiring palms. "There must be others on the other side as well," he said to his companions. "Find them and kill them!" he ordered.

"No!" I screamed again. "I can not allow that. I will not allow that!"

The bandits laughed. "My boy, can't you see it's over? This little village is done for. I don't know what you did with them that actually convinced them to take up arms against us, but it failed in the end. I must say, I'm impressed. You killed at least a dozen of my comrades with those cleverly set traps of yours, but did you honestly think that was going to be enough? Did you honestly think these disgusting peasants would stand a fighting chance against the troops of Zong the Wicked?" He grinned.

"You will pay for your crimes here, mercenary," I spat. "I will personally see to it."

The bandits laughed again, this time even harder than before. Their commander answered me again. "But my dear, dear boy, you simply don't get it do you? You're already dead. You just don't know it yet. And so is that pitiful Jejna, whose son I just killed. And I will kill his wife and his daughter too, after I rape them!" He spat on Zu's dead body.

I felw into a rage. In blind madness I raised Tien's Justice and stormed towards the large bandit. He had not expected this, but he evaded my incoming strike, albeit barely. I turned around, sweeping my spade at his legs, the most vulnerable area of a man of his size. But he jumped over my attack with surprising athleticism, and drew the giant broadsword from his back that I had already fought against once before. His attacks came in relatively slow, but I had to use every bit of focus I had to evade them. His blows were so devastating that I wondered if even Tien's Justice could block them. I rolled out of the way of his relentless assault, and decided that I wasn't going to win this fight up close. I flipped backwards, enlarging the distance between us, and I drew upon the power of the Open Palm. The Earth itself sprang up at my command, and lumps of rock floated between my palms, ready to be thrown at will. I shot forth countless of rocks, but the bandit kept diverting them with his large sword. I felt my chi draining fast, and I didn't know how much longer I would be able to keep using the Stone Immortal style. I tried something I had only done in training before. I switched to the Spirit Thief style. I launched a powerful blue beam at my adversary, but he rolled out of the way, drawing closer to me. I unsheathed my dual sabers just in time to blocked an incoming strike of his sword. I collapsed under the impact and both of my blades flew out of my hand. The bandit kicked me down as I tried to get up and put one foot on top of my chest, rendering me immobile. "This one's coming to see the boss," he said, as he stood over me victorious once again. "Kill the rest. Slaughter all you can find, be it man, woman or child."

"No!" I shouted. I tried to wrestle free from underneath his overpowering weight, but after a big blow of his heel that connected with my temple, all went black before my eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I woke up in a dark, cold room. I was tied to a chair, the rope chafing my painful wrists and ankles. I tried to move my neck, but it simply hurt too much. I tried to open my mouth, and dried blood crackled as my lips budged. I had a throbbing headache, so I was painful the room I was in was dark. My eyes adjusted rather quickly, and I could now see I was in a bedroom of some sorts, probably that of Zong the Wicked. It reminded me of when I had been held prisoner in Saed Tisst's fortress. It made my failure look even worse. Because I had failed. And I had failed badly. I had good reason to believe everyone who 'fought', if I even had the right call it that, at my side had perished. I had no idea if Jejna, Jene and the other were still alive. I tried to look around, but the pain kept me from doing so properly.

"Ah, awake a last, I see," a voice from behind me said. As he crept into my vision, I could distinguish a small, burly man in ugly yellow robes. He took a chair and sat right in front of me. His menacing features were apparent. He had a shaved skull, and a long, thin, curled moustache. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zong the Wicked, but I'm guessing you knew that already. And you, little fellow, are my prisoner."

"You... monster," I brought out. "What did you do to... the others?"

"Killed them, of course," he said as if it was nothing to be worried about. "Some are still on the run, but we'll get them. Soon. But that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is the reason why those people did what they did. And that's also the reason why you're here. Because you can tell me. Can't you?"

"What... makes you think so?"

"Oh, come on now, I've heard the reports. My top lieutenant says that the day you arrived you fought him. And now all of a sudden this? It must've been you. But why? That's what I want to know."

"You were exploiting those people. I could not allow it."

"And it did you much good, apparently," Zong snorted. "Look here you have ended up."

"This was not about me. It was about them."

"Yes, and look how they have ended up. All dead. Hmpfh. Some saviour you are. All dead. Because of you."

His words stung me deeper than any blade could. The painful realisation that I had led these people to their deaths over a matter of foolish pride began to surface. A tear emerged from my left eye and left a salty trail on my cheek. As apparent a sign of weakness as it was, I could not suppress it.

"Shedding tears for the weak," Zong chuckled. "How... righteous."

I looked up at him, not with fear, regret or sadness, but with anger. "You're damn right I'm righteous, and I'm proud of it!" I shouted with a voice as strong as I could muster. "If the world consisted only of people like you, there would be no legends to tell, no stories to be heard. No tales of legendary heroes. Just... Cruelty. Murder. Death. Emptiness."

"Tales of legendary heroes, hm? Like your father's?" Zong suggested with a smile, stroking his moustache with a long, dirty fingernail.

"How... How do you know...?" I began, in disbelief.

"How do I know you're Prince Tiang, son of Sagacious Tien?" he asked me instead, rising up from his chair and walking over to what I believed to be a desk. "Simple," he continued, picking something up and walking back over to me. "This."

He held out my Monk's Spade Tien's Justice in front of him, his dirty hands degenerating its purity with their touch.

"Tien's Justice. The Spade that Sagacious Tien himself held when he summoned the Dragons. The weapon used to unite the land. The heirloom of the most famous man in these regions of the world. The legendary weapon of the first Emperor of the Jade Empire."

"Don't touch it with your filthy hands!" I groaned in disgust.

"Now, now, is that a way to talk to the man who decides whether you live or die?"

"Is this a way to talk to your _Prince_?" I asked, emphasizing the last word.

Zong grinned.

"Touché, my dear Prince. And if you were accompanied by a couple dozen of your Imperial Guardsmen, I would certainly acquiesce to your request and speak to you in a... yes, a slightly grovelling manner, even. I would even release you. But as that is not the case, I see no reason whatsoever to bow down to you. Because let's face it," he casually added while inspecting his fingernails, "the risk of detection is... rather low, don't you think?"

"You won't get away with this," I warned him. "Others know where I went. They will not let this slide. If you kill me, they WILL come for you." It was not at all a risky bluff. After all, both Jin and Linmei knew where Tiang had gone. They both could come and look for him. They could even involve Tang again, who would beat the living crap out of every single bandit without even breaking a sweat.

"Possibly," Zong admitted. "But then again, I do not plan to kill you. You make a very fine hostage. Great for dinner parties and... awfully high ransoms."

"You're doing this for silver?" I said, almost having to snort out of disbelief. This much cruelty for a bunch of coins, it sounded too unbelievable to be taken seriously.

"No... Not silver," Zong corrected me. "Power. The Emperor is dying of divine wrath, I know so. I have heard it from Saed Tisst, who has great sources within the palace. As soon as I heard it, I set out with 2 fellows and we captured the Six Holy Scrolls in the Smoking Mountains. That way, it would be impossible for anyone to ask the Great Dragon to aid him. Which is exactly what you set out to do, isn't it?"

"Yes," I admitted. "I do not deny it. I have no wish to deny it. And why should I? Your plan is crumbling, old man. Your game is as good as over already. Saed Tisst is dead. Zao The Abated and Lang the Barbaric will follow soon, if they even still draw breath."

"Bah; you're bluffing," he said, dismissing my claims with a wave of his hand.

"I am not. And before this day is over, you too will get what you deserve."

Zong the Wicked laughed. "And how will that happen, I wonder? Magic? Divine intervention?"

"Exactly," I mumbled, gathering all my remaining strength. I focused all of my chi to my brain, stretching out my mind Heavenward. _"Great Dragon, grant me strength. Lend me your power, so that I might end this man's evil. Allow me control of your qualities, so that I might revere you. Allow me, and the Empire will exist FOR you."_

I had absolutely no idea if it was going to work. It was a desperate attempt if anything. Yet only seconds later I felt a surge of power rushing through my body. My wounds healed instantly, and I felt my strength increase hundredfold. My vision became clear, my mind became bright. My focus was immense. My body became powerful. Almost effortlessly I snapped the chains with which Zong had bound me, and before he could even blink I had grabbed him by the collar of his robe and lifted him into the air with one hand.

"The Scrolls," I said forcefully. "Now!"

Afraid of my newfound and unexpected power," Zong handed me the Holy Scrolls he had held in his hands. With a flick of my wrist I threw him against the wall, hearing a painful snap as his head hit the ground. I took Tien's Justice from his desk. My dual sabers were nowhere to be seen, but I cared little for them at this moment. They were replaceable. I walked over to the only window in the dark room. It was too small for me to fit through. I placed my palm of the wall and with a small rush of kinetic chi it simply blew away. Still somewhat amazed by my new, temporary power I leapt out of the large hole and landed on the ground 20 feet below with ease. _"This is how it feels to be powerful,"_ I said to myself. I had the Holy Scrolls. But there was also unfinished business I had to attend to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had been found. The bandits were approaching her, as she tried to shield her parents and the few remaining survivors from the bandits.

"Leave us alone!" Jene shouted with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Just... Go away!"

"Sorry, kitty," the bandit menacingly replied. "But I look forward to ramming my cock into your..."

He was cut off. Jene blinked. The three bandits in front of her stood before her motionless, speechless. They looked at each other. All three of them had huge, gaping holes in their bellies. Blood poured from them, and as they fell over, the figure of the man responsible was revealed.

"Jin!" Jene shouted as she recognised him. "How did you... I didn't even see you..."

She ran up to me and hugged me. She was in shock, I could tell, and so were the people behind her. "Is this all that's left?" I asked Jene, looking at the two dozen people behind her.

"Yes," she shook her head. "Oh, it was terrible, Jin. What happened? Where's Zu?"

"Zu is dead," I sighed. "He revealed himself too early to the bandits and they got slaughtered. I managed to get away just in time. I'm sorry."

"It is as I feared then," Jejna said, emerging from behind Jene's back. "We gambled and we lost. Everything. Our village. Our crops. Our animals. Our villagers. My son..." he added with a trembling voice. "And for what? For a fool's hope."

"No," I said, walking over to the old man, "listen to me Jejna, that's not true! We fought for what we believed in, and the Dragons have granted us victory in the end!"

"What do you mean? There is no victory in this. Not while that madman still lives"

"Zong the Wicked lies dead in his castle," I corrected him with a sense of pride. "His troops have been slaughtered. Every single last one of them."

"How... How..."

"I did it, Jejna. I appealed to the Great Dragon for help, and she granted me strength. We have suffered many losses here today, but your community can and will rebuild with what little you have left. I want you to have Zong's castle, Jejna, and do with it as you please. Sell it, use it, whatever. I will make sure you will get whatever you need when I return home."

"When you return home?" Jene asked, somewhat disappointed. "Will you be leaving us, then?"

I sighed. "I have to admit something. I am not a common warrior. I am no traveller. I am Prince Tiang, son of Sagacious Tien, heir to the throne of the Jade Empire. I will make sure you can rebuild, Jejna, I give you my word."

"I...I...I..." Jejna stammered, "I can not believe it."

"Believe me you must, my friend, for it is true. I will never be able to compensate you for what you gave up today, and I am truly sorry I could not stop all of this sooner. I am sorry I could not find the strength to stop all those people from dying, I am sorry I could not rescue Zu. But promise me one thing, Jejna."

"Yes, My Prince?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"Promise me that you will honour his ultimate sacrifice."

The old man nodded his head, tears flowing from his wrinkled eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There is one thing you never told me, Jene," I told her as we made our way back to Zong's former outpost to claim it.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. She had taken everything pretty well, considering. I guessed it was safe to ask this question.

"You never told me how you convinced your father to take up arms against these criminals."

"Oh," she said and added a faint smile to her words. "It's... Stupid really. It's... No, it's best if I don't tell you."

"Come on, Jene, tell me. Don't treat me differently because I turn out to be your Prince."

"Well," she hesitantly began, "I... told my father you had promised to marry me once this was all over."

"Eh?" I said, realising it sounded a lot ruder than I had intended. "That's... Strange."

"Yes, I know. But it did the job. He was anxious to see me in a steady relationship, and you looked like an admirable and honourable man. So he was overjoyed at the prospect of me being bonded to you. But I guess that's... not going to happen, is it?" she asked rhetorically.

"I'm afraid not. You must understand..."

"it's okay," she interrupted. "I understand. You're a Prince. I'm a peasant."

"Eh... It sounds so negative when you put it like that. I don't think of you like..."

"Your Highness, you don't need to explain yourself to me, you really don't."

"Please don't call me like that. Not you. Just call me Tiang."

"Tiang how?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you're going to be Emperor one day, you must have a title, no? What's it going to be?"

I wondered. And wondered. And then I knew it.

"Righteous Tiang."


	12. I, Linmei The Lotus Flower

**Chapter 11: I, Linmei The Lotus Flower**

I was almost there. I felt it. I had been riding a horse for the last couple of days, one I bought from a friendly merchant I had met on the road a while back. Tiang had been the only one to go North from where we had said our goodbyes. I had spent the first day of travel in the company of Jin, but he had left me behind. He had a far greater distance to travel, and therefore elected not to to rest at night. I, however, needed my sleep, if only to look good in the morning. My beauty was natural, but like all fair things it needed maintenance. I had lost track of the large man the first night and had travelled alone ever since. I had met few people on the road. One of the only ones I had met was the merchant who sold me the horse; he also mentioned that he had sold a horse to a man fitting Jin's description, which made sense to me. Jin had to go back and forth the entire Empire in one month's time while also making sure he possessed the 2 remaining Holy Scrolls. I had also met two young travelling warriors. They had flirted with me, obviously, being male. Being this beautiful had its disadvantages, not a single man could leave you alone or resist you. That is, until you kicked them in the face; which is exactly what those two guys got when they came on to me. Other than that, my journey had been uneventful. But that was soon about to change.

Zao the Abated's fortress came in sight as I called upon the horse to slow down. It resembled that of Saed Tisst, before Tiang had impressively sunk it into the ground, yet it had a slightly eerier atmosphere. As if time had taken its toll not only on the landlord, but also on his buildings. I got off the horse, which I had nicknamed Ponpon, after my father. I was surprised by the fact I spent so much time thinking about him. After all, we never had the most caring or loving of relationships. He had always used me, as his most prized possession, a tool to increase his standing among the local men and now, to gain maximum favour at court and wrestle his way towards the Emperor himself. And the Prince, whom he hoped would become his son-in-law sooner rather than later. I knew why I had been sent to court. It wasn't for my sake, it wasn't to 'grace the Emperor', it was for him, for his own ambition. Still, despite his intentions, I was glad I had been sent. It provided an opportunity to find me a man worthy of myself, one equally skilled and beautiful. Unfortunately, that hadn't happened. Tiang, as kind as he was, met neither of those standards. Of all the men I had ever met in my life, of all the boyfriends, admirers, warriors, peasants and princes, Tang was the only one who met my high standards. Yes, even surpassed them. Easily. But he was off-limits. And he was gone.

I turned my attention back to the fortress, nearing the gates. They were wide open. I peered inside to see a huge square, full of the usual hustle and bustle of a market. As I entered, holding Ponpon by the reins with one hand and my staff with the other, I saw that there was indeed some sort of market going on. Merchants from all over the Empire were selling the most curious, hideous and most wonderful of goods. From weapons, to wine, to robes, to decoration. I wondered what the special occasion for this even could be. Or maybe it was simply always like this. In any case, it didn't really matter. I had to find Zao, and I had to find the Scrolls.

It didn't take long before people started noticing me and staring at me. I had grown used to it over the years, but in this case it felt particularly unpleasant. Attention right now was a bad thing. As I soon experienced first-hand.

I was wearing an elegant outfit, but also a very practical one. Which meant that it had to be rather tight, so my clothes wouldn't get in my way when fighting. I had also bound a purple scarf around my waist to cover up some skin, as my shirt was a bit on the short side. Apparently, one of the commoners had noticed that. From behind, he pulled my scarf, jerking a couple of times before it came off. I turned around, dignified by his blatant disrespect and inappropriate behaviour. The man was definitely over twice my age. He was severely balding and had lost a couple of his teeth. He disgusted me. But I tried to stay calm, hoping to avoid attracting even more attention.

"Give it back," I calmly said. "Now."

"Nu-uh, don't think so, pretty," he grinned and sniffed my scarf with his mouth wide open and his eyes closed. "Hmm, that smells good. I think I can smell your..."

I lunged forward and pulled the scarf out of his hands, recovering it before he knew what had happened. I swiftly bound it round my exposed waist and turned my back to him, hoping that it would end the matter. But the guy was persistent. He grabbed me by the right shoulder and spun me around. He raised one hand in an attempt to slap me, but I effortlessly caught him by the wrist. I twisted his arm harshly, causing some bones to snap. I released him and he backed down, screaming and holding his arm in pain.

"Ahhh! You bitch!" he shouted all over the square, and I soon realised what a mistake I had made. People all over the square turned around and looked at the two of us. A young man, just over my age, emerged from the crowd and ran towards the man whose arm I had just broken.

"Uncle!" he said, supporting the man by the shoulders, hopelessly trying to relieve his pain. "Are you all right?"

"That fucking bitch broke my arm!" the man angrily shouted, pointing his good hand at me. The young man looked up at me. He was stunned for a moment when he saw me, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Why'd you do this to my uncle?" he asked. His voice was shaky, but I couldn't tell if it was because of anger or because of desire.

"He persistently disrespected me," I simply explained, hoping to gain his favour by victimizing myself, but I had severely misinterpreted the guy's sentiments.

"Oh, you feel you're so high and mighty, don't you? Just because you're so pretty we common folk ain't good enough for you?" He approached me with a threatening composure. This guy had obviously been through a bad breakup recently, or had a lot of sexual frustration. I could understand why, the guy wasn't exactly good-looking. Compared to him even Tiang looked divine.

"I assure you..." I said, trying to reason with him, but he cut me off.

"You're all just the same, aren't you? Drawing attention to yourselves, by dressing like... _that_," he shouted, waving a hand at me, "and when we show interest you dismiss us like a sack of dirt."

He approached me even more and looked like he was about to attack me.

"Don't," I warned him.

"Or what? What are you gonna do?" he rhetorically asked me.

"I can assure you, you do not want to find out."

"We'll see about that!" he shouted and swung a punch at me. I ducked underneath, spun around and landed a crushing blow with my right foot on his chest. The guy was sent flying, landing right next to his uncle. He did not get up.

The people on the town square, all of which had been following the incident closely, started an indignant roar. They encircled me, shouting and pointing at me. I felt threatened and took on a defensive stance in case they would try and overwhelm me. This is not at all how I had planned this visit.

"Damn it," I whispered under my breath.

"All right, what is going on here?" a thunderous, roaring voice rumbled over the mob. The crowd grew silent almost instantaneously and I saw a large man making his way through the merchants and commoners, towards the clearing that had grown around me. The man reminded me of Jin. He was big and muscled, yet not bulky. His hair was a lot shorter than Jin's and he had a pointy beard that easily reached his adam's apple. But what was most striking about him were the two giant hammers bound to his back, a very unusual weapon around these parts of the world. This man was obviously an enforcer or guard of some sorts.

"These two men attacked me," I truthfully said in my defence. "I merely retaliated to assure my own safety."

"I see," the guard said, towering out over me and folding his arms. "And where exactly does a pretty, slender little girl like you learn to fight like that? And _where_ does a simple woman like you get a staff like that?"

I was rather shocked. I had never, ever been described as _simple_ before. Songs had been sung about me, poems had been written for me, a star had been named after me,... I pondered for a moment, internally discussing whether I should reveal my true identity or not. It was highly unlikely they would believe me and very likely they wouldn't care even if they did. Or maybe they _would_ care, just not for the right reasons.

"I won't tell you. But I'll tell your boss," I gambled, hoping this meeting would provide a shortcut right to the person I needed.

"It is my task to protect Zao the Abated with my life. Do you really think I will let you anywhere near him before I know who you are and what you want with him?" he said. He spoke in a calm manner, but I also sensed there was no room for argument. Not with this man.

"I have a business proposal," I lied. I was acting on instinct, but my gut told me I was doing it wrong. Even if I got anywhere near Zao, how would I get him to listen to me? How would I convince him to hand the scrolls over? And if I couldn't and just took them, could I escape unharmed from all of these people without resorting to bloody mass-murder? I highly doubted it.

"Oh? And what could you possibly have to offer? The only thing he would be interested in would be situated somewhere in your nether regions."

I repressed a blush and continued the discussion. "Well, if you're so sure about that, there's no real risk in letting me see him, is there?"

"Maybe not. And maybe there is." He paused. Some people were still watching us, although a lot had already gone back to their stalls and their wares. The lack of real action had discouraged most viewers.

But then, a mighty, commanding voice boomed through the air, making the soldier stand to attention in the blink of an eye.

"Bring her to me!"

I turned around, my eyes looking for the source of the order. When I laid eyes upon him, it was unmistakable. I had seen Zao the Abated.

He was an old man, and walked towards us with a determination and flair that was the product of years of experience commanding strong men and women. His robes were magnificent, a harsh contrast with the bits and pieces of ragged cloths most merchants used to cover themselves up. The bright yellow silks were so radiant that I almost didn't notice the grey hairs he tried to hide under his hat. But they were there.

"Fai, bring her to my quarters," he commanded his guard, not even looking at me as he passed me by. "Make sure she is left... unscathed."

"Very well, my Lord," the soldier agreed with a bow before his master disappeared almost as quickly as he had come. When Zao had left, he turned his attention back to me. "It didn't look like you need protection to me, though."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was standing in his room. It was big, with fancy ornaments livening up the place. Zao was obviously very rich, but while he bathed in luxury, the people outside went hungry. The contrast between what was inside of the walls and outside of them was frustrating for someone like me, who was destined to shape the Empire alongside its ruler. At least, that's what I was supposed to do.

Zao was standing in front of me. Without the glare of the sun to enrich his aura of mental power, he looked more like an old man in a fancy dress than a powerful man posing a threat to the preservation of the Jade Empire. He looked at me lustfully, his eyes inspecting every inch of my body and resting on the more voluptuous parts. I was not surprised. And I was not impressed by his predictable reaction to my presence. But it could work in my favour. Very much so, in fact.

"Do you know why I'm here?" I asked him bluntly, deciding a direct approach would save us both some time and leave us without the need to develop a façade. I was tired of façades after all those years.

"I have a pretty good guess," Zao answered. Just like his general presence, his voice had changed a lot just by moving indoors. It wasn't as booming and resounding as it had been. I suspected Zao was a master of keeping up appearances, sensing the need for one better than most. It had allowed him to control such a large force and have gained as much influence as he had.

"You don't look like an ordinary woman," Zao continued, "so you must be here for a reason. Either it's because I have crossed my boundaries and you're here to punish me; or you're here for the Scrolls. In the first case, you would have brought an army; in the second case, you would have come here alone, in secret. As you are trying to hide the fact that you are Linmei the Lotus Flower, the soon-to-be betrothed of Prince and heir to the throne Tiang, I suspect you are here for the Scrolls. To save the Emperor."

I changed my mind about not being impressed by him. Behind his superficial reactions had crept a brilliant chain of thoughts, connecting dots instantaneously.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, somewhat perplexed by his ability to find out who I was.

"Beautiful beyond comparison, skilled in the ways of the staff, legs like steel bars, gone from the Palace and headed straight here? Those things boil it down quite a bit."

"How do you know all those things?"

"I have spies," he stated matter-of-factly. "Lots of them. And so have the others. We know everything that has been developing in the Imperial Palace for quite a while now. We know about the Emperor's illness, and we know that he will die. It just can't be helped."

"Wrong," I corrected him, "there is still hope."

"Ah, yes, the Scrolls."

"The Scrolls," I said affirmatively.

He took a seat in one of the nearby chairs, and gestured towards one of the others, signalling I had to take a seat as well.

"I know you have some of them. Don't bother denying it. I want them."

"And why would I just give them to you?"

"Because you want to live."

Zao laughed. Not a loud roar, just a snicker. It was quite humiliating.

"Listen, girl, let me be honest with you. At my age, death is something you expect to arrive every single day. It's hardly something you can threaten me with. And the Scrolls? I have no need for them. When I agreed to do this, with Zong the Wicked and Lang the Barbaric, it was the last act of a desperate man. A last-ditch effort to carve my name into the books of history. But I am an old man, and I feel my strength waning every day. I no longer have what it takes to carry out the grand scheme the three of us had constructed, and I no longer feel the desire to embrace eternity in history classes. That desire has faded in favour of something more practical..."

"Practical?" I wondered out loud.

"Yes, practical. I am an old man. I don't have many years left in me. Maybe not even one. All I want to do right now is enjoy life. Stealing the Scrolls from the Smoking Mountains took a lot out of me. It drained my strength, reducing me to a shell of what I once was. Maybe I had overestimated my power. My age caught up with me in a matter of days. I started feeling how tired my bones actually were. How crumpled my skin actually was. How my eyelids started to twitch. How my joints started creaking... Lang and Zong are younger than I am. The quest took a lot out of them as well, but their youth allowed for a full recovery. They still want to continue this insane mission. I however, can no longer bring it up..."

"But I don't understand," I intervened. "If that is truly how you feel, then why not just give them to me?"

"It has to be worth it," Zao insisted. "You don't just betray Lang the Barbaric and Zong the Wicked! If there is even the slightest chance they find out I just gave the Scrolls away to the Princess of the Empire, they would come after me with the full force of their armies combined. I am still a man of power and influence, but I am wise enough to realize that that would be a battle I cannot win. Besides, I don't think Sagacious Tien has ever been fit to rule, chosen by the Celestials or not. If I am going to give hope back to this dynasty, I want something in return, something that will make me forget the betrayal of my ideals."

I didn't know what to say. Nor did Zao expect an answer out of me. He rose from his chair. Slowly. And he walked over to me. I was still sitting in my chair. I watched his every move as he approached me, wary of his actions. He started circling me at a slow pace, befitting to his old age.

"You want the Scrolls, don't you little girl? What would you give for them?" I wanted to reply, but he continued talking before I could even open my mouth.

"Anything, I wager," he accurately predicted. "Well, as I have said, I want something in return. And there is only one thing you have to offer me that I desire... and that is yourself."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart rate getting increasingly faster. Zao surprised me by swiftly grabbing a hold of my throat. I took him by the wrist, but didn't risk hurting him. I was afraid of the repercussion should I get on his bad side.

"Oh, come on. What did you expect? I'm an old man, nearing death. About to betray my ideals," he whispered into my ear. "I long for the ultimate satisfaction. To sleep with the world's most beautiful woman. The princess. The future Empress. If you want the Scrolls, you will fulfil my needs. Or I will make sure they are burnt, and you can forget all about saving Sagacious Tien." He released my throat. I coughed now that air finally managed to work its way back into my lungs again. I looked up at Zao, who was grinning deviously. "So what say you,... my Princess?" he added mockingly. "Will you put your pride aside, your loyalty to your soon-to-be husband?"

I stood up, and walked over to Zao. I looked him dead in the eye. "You speak of pride and loyalty? Those are things you know nothing of, Zao. I will do what is best for my country. So..." I threw off my scarf and took off my shirt, revealing everything underneath. The old man started drooling at the sight. As disgusted as I was, I was determined to get the Scrolls. "If you want me, take me!"

I closed my eyes when he pushed me on the bed. His loud breathing and moaning when he placed himself on top of me made me cringe. I could feel his hot breath on my belly when he removed my pants. I was no stranger to the art of making love to a man. I had had many lovers in my young lifetime. But it had always been with my consent. This was difference. Forced. It felt horrible. But it was all going to be over soon. At least, I hoped.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I took Ponpon by the reins, and urged her to start galloping. The further I was from this place, the better. I tightly held two of the Scrolls clenched in my right fist while I drove my horse to its limits. Tears were blown off the side of my face by the wind as the night settled in.

I had succeeded in my mission, but in order to do so, I had had to sink to a level I had never even imagined existed. I felt tainted. Ashamed. A whore in a fancy dress. Prostituted myself for my Empire, like a girl of the streets.

Tiang must never know. And he never would. This was going to be my secret. Forever. I, Linmei the Lotus Flower, had shamed my title.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Next chapter: Jin does his part for the fellowship. Determined to succeed in his mission, he decides to let nothing stand between him and the Scrolls. But can even the powerful Jin overcome the full might of Lang The Barbaric's forces?_


	13. I, Audacious Jin

**Chapter 12 – I, Audacious Jin**

I rode. The wind made my eyes tear, but I rode. The sun made my lips chap, but I rode. The rain soaked me, but I rode. There was little time.

Hours turned into days, as I sat upon the back of my horse. I detested riding horseback; it was the common way of transport for the Horselords of the Plains of Barren Hope. A people that had never accepted the formation of the Jade Empire, and one of the few that had been able to resist the conquering armies of Sagacious Tien and The Outlander. They revered no dragons, only heathen Gods, and the horse was their most beloved symbol. I had no choice however; I had to move swiftly, and lest an ox grew wings, a horse was the fastest manner of travel.

I passed little villages and big cities on my way. I paid them little heed. I barely had time to rest, and only paused for a couple hours of sleep at night or to exchange horses. Luckily for me, my journey was quite uneventful. Bandits and commoners alike were smart enough to know that it is unwise to seek trouble with a nearly seven foot tall muscled young warrior carrying a masterfully smithed longsword. Whenever I set foot in a town to quickly restock on supplies, people seemed intimidated by me. Scared, even. It was unnecessary, for I meant them no harm; but I welcomed the peace.

My goal was Lang The Barbaric's castle. The pirate lord resided near the western mouth of the Grandfather river. I had been told it was near the border of the Realm of the Mad Monkey King, the country to the South of the Jade Empire. I didn't know anyone who had ever ventured beyond the Southern border. Tales spoke of enormous woods as far as the eye could see, inhabited by the strangest of creatures; a land where only one rule applied: eat or be eaten. A land of savages where the strong ruled the weak; where a warrior's renown and skill was measured by the amount of heads he had swinging from his belt. I wasn't sure if I believed those old-man's tales. But my uncle's lust for conquest and victory had stopped at the edges of the forests. That had to mean something, knowing that he had stopped his armies at the borders of the Land of Howling Spirits, The Plains of Barren Hope and The Great Desert as well.

But in the end, it mattered little, for I had no need to cross over into the Monkey King's realm; nor had I any desire to. I needed to find the Holy Scrolls, and all the rest was irrelevant. I did wonder how the neighbouring countries would react to the news of my uncle's Tien's sickness, if it had reached them. No doubt Zeng Sai, both the Horselord's sovereign and grand general, would welcome the news with joy. If word of the Empire's weakness reached his ear, I feared that they would even dare to strike at the Jade Empire, attempting to take back some of their lands taken from them during the Jade Empire's formation, and even invade further.  
I wasn't sure if we had anything to fear from the Monkey King. It was said he was an unstoppable warrior, more beast than man, and more demon than beast. But also one that was content to rest on his laurels and with little taste for conquest. Someone who only moved when threatened. Perhaps that was why uncle Tien hadn't burnt down his forests and tried to expand the Empire beyond. If the stories of the Monkey King were true, that had been wise.

As for the Land of Howling Spirits, nobody could say. Whereas the Great Desert, to the Empire's North-West, was nothing but lifeless plains of sand that no man could cross, the Land of Howling Spirits was a cesspit, full of marshes and labyrinths of razor-sharp rocks where death and danger lurked behind every corner and under every stone. To the East, near the Empire's western border, there were mountains where the snow never stopped falling from the sky. It was said the dead dwelt there before moving on to the afterlife and the Great Wheel, but that was another part of the stories I had a lot of trouble believing. I had killed before, and never had I seen anyone ever get up after having their life taken from them. Spirits had no place in this realm, that was the way of things. Maybe it was another entity that lived there, one that wasn't human. But dead people? No, it didn't seem possible. In any case, I expected we had little to fear from them as well, somehow. Even if the dead resided there, why would they seek to rule over the living? They were going to the Great Wheel and their souls would be restored to life, as was the order of things. It made no sense to fear them.

My mind was filled with such thoughts throughout my journey. It put me at ease, knowing that the Empire was safe from neighbouring countries for now. But the true threats didn't come from the outside, but from within. I still needed those scrolls. And I could only hope that Tiang and Linmei were going to be successful. Still, their successes would mean nothing if I failed.

As I approached the 12th day of my journey, I knew that I had crossed most of the Golden Delta. The Grandfather river had two springs. I had crossed its western spring two days ago, meaning that it couldn't be much further to the Southern border, where the river ended in the Glass Ocean. The Grandfather River stretched out from the westernmost to the easternmost part of the Jade Empire, which caused it to effectively cut off the southern region of the Golden Delta from the main land since it had a western and an eastern estuary; much like the Silkworm River was the natural border for the Seat of Heaven and the Golden Delta, save that its spring lay in the Smoking Mountains. Bridges were the only way to get across the Silkworm _and_ the Grandfather River, unless you found a ferryman or a pond that could get you across. If you didn't like a good swim, that is. Luckily for me, I would need to cross no rivers. I had been told in a village where I had resupplied that Lang's castle was situated at the northern bank of the river, right where it ran into the sea. That was good news, since I would have no trouble finding it. As people in markets told me stories, it appeared that Lang was a very powerful and influential man, who had a great amount of men at his command. From their base, they sailed all over the Grandfather River, often extracting illegal tolls at bridges and robbing travelling merchants or fishermen. They rarely ventured on solid ground save to whore and drink.

I was hoping that the castle would be relatively empty. It was said that Lang himself barely left his hideout any more, which played in my favour, for I suspected he always kept the Scrolls close to him. Undoubtedly there would still be a solid defensive line at the castle itself to protect their leader; there always was. There was no way this was going to be easy, and I had never expected it would be. Infiltration wasn't one of my strengths, but I did have one great asset: sheer power and muscular strength. My mother, Harmonious Jien, sister to Sagacious Tien, had married one of the fiercest and bravest warriors . It was said he had fought side by side with The Outlander, even. Courageous Pin had been his name, and people believed he was one of the last descendants of a line of ancient Giants, mythical creatures that had served the dragons in the beginning of the world. My father had been well over seven feet, a ripped monster of a man who despite his brute strength was honourable, brave and kind-hearted. People often said I took after him, which was an incredible compliment. I regretted never having known him. He had robbed himself of life after my mother had given birth to me. Stricken with grief, he had fallen upon his own sword. His weapon, Pin's Needle, had been passed down to me, but after hearing the stories, I had never used it. It was lying in my bedroom chambers in the Imperial Palace, a relic that stirred too much negative thought. I couldn't look at it without doubting the name my father had worn in life. Anyone who didn't have the strength to raise his own son by himself hardly deserved the title 'Courageous' in my book...

Shaking away such negative thoughts, I left the fisherman's village beyond me. I had left my horse behind at a teahouse, telling them I would come back for it later. Horses were a rare sight this far away from the Imperial City, so the innkeeper had happily agreed to stall it in front of his teahouse, in hopes of attracting more people. Trusting that he wouldn't just sell it to the highest bidder, I had made my way across the dunes. The air was nice here, it felt fresh and healthy. Much different than the stench of the city, which smelled of sweat, blood, fornication and manure. The day was coming to a close, and I could see the sun starting to set. It was a beautiful sight: the crystal clear azure water of the Glass Ocean reflecting the golden sun, as a gentle breeze waved the dune grass. My long, black ponytail waved happily along. It was a rare moment of peace and tranquillity. The calm before the storm, no doubt. My feet sunk down in the loose sand with every step I made. It made walking more tiresome than usual. I could already see the castle in the distance. It looked very outlandish, but it was a magnificent structure: the outer walls were of granite, yards thick. It was built in layers, so that the defensive line could always fall back to a higher level, giving them the strategical advantage. Almost like a terraced rice field I had seen in paintings. It was built over the sea, as if it was being held up by magic. On the other side of the castle was a port, which the higher levels of the castle loomed over, and it was undoubtedly the place where the pirates kept their ships. It was inaccessible unless you went through the castle or had a boat. But it seemed folly to try and attack it from the sea. Wooden spikes and beams rose up from the water, and I suspected they had created banks upon which most ships would strand. Undoubtedly the pirates had special maps to navigate the waters, allowing them to sail into open sea, as well as upstream into the Grandfather River.  
The uppermost level of the castle didn't seem to be much bigger than a large room. I immediately presumed they were Lang's quarters. In terms of architecture, height meant power. That was also the reason why the Imperial Palace dwarfed every other structure in the Empire, this castle included. The higher up you were in the chain of authority, the higher your room was situated. Lackeys at the bottom, chiefs on top. Lawful or outlaw, that seemed to be the unwritten rule.

I approached the gate, which went against all rules of conflict. I was out in the open, and they could see me coming from miles off. Which they probably had. No doubt many strangers wandered past the castle from time to time, but kept their distance. Anyone to come this close was either very stupid, or very ignorant. Or extremely powerful, but that was one thought that didn't seem to pop up in the minds of the guards. There were three of them, all armed to the teeth with a spear in their hands and two sabres hanging from their waists. I could see they had excellent equipment for mere pirates: black plate armour, decorated with patterns and symbols that held little significance where I came from; grey scale helmets that covered their eyes but left their mouths free; ebony boots with sharp tips;... And the one in the centre, presumably their leader, wore a maroon cape, embroidered with a burning ship. It was he who shouted at me the moment he felt I was coming too close.  
"Hey peasant!" he yelled. I could see a slight moustache move underneath his helmet. Little hair crept over his lips as his mouth moved. "How many of you do we have to kill before you get the message? Stay away!"  
_"Peasant"?_ I thought. I was a Prince of the Jade Empire! They couldn't possibly know I was, but I was still used to being treated with more respect. Every villager I had come across had been friendly, some even charming. That was probably the reason they had become fishermen, not criminal scum.

"Eh... Captain Sung?" the guard to his left said, clutching his spear a bit more tightly as my pace didn't slow, "I don't think this is an ordinary... guy." There were only a couple of yards between us now, and the guards simultaneously aimed their weapons at me.

"You will back off if you want to live," Captain Sung snarled. I did nothing. I merely smiled.

"A Captain without a ship?" I said mockingly. "And yet I'm the peasant in your eyes?" My comment infuriated him. In a blind rage, he attacked me, thrusting his spear at me. I dashed it effortlessly. As it went past, I grabbed the wood and broke it with my fingers as if it was a twig. The Captain seemed frightened by my little display of physical strength. Despite being much younger than them, I towered above the pirates, and now that I was close to them, they finally saw how big I really was.

"Attack, you fools! I will not suffer this peasant. Skewer him!" I jerked what remained of his spear out of the Captain's hands, swung it around my neck and smashed it against his scale helmet with all of my strength. The wood shattered, sending splinters flying all over the place. They couldn't pierce the helmet or the plate armour, but tiny fragments of wood flew through the Captain's eye holes. He shrieked in pain, clutching at his face with both of his hands. "My eyes!" He took his helmet off with one hand, flinging it in my direction. I could see blood trickling out of his eye sockets. As he clutched his face, it started to seep through his fingers. I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.

It had all happened so fast that the other two only now seemed to realize what they had to do. They attacked me as well, the one on the left tried to hit me with a side swing of his spear while the other thrust at my head. I ducked and sidestepped at the same time, clutching both of their weapons with my massive hands. They tried to wrest it free from my grasp, but they were unsuccessful. I looked at them. While their helmets concealed much of their emotion, their contorted mouths betrayed fear and desperation. I yanked the spears out of their hands. I was by no means a master of the spear, that had always been Tang's weapon, but I knew some of the basics. The guards tried to draw their dual sabres, but before they could do so, I reverse my grip, and launched the spears in their directions. They were hit right in the stomach. The tips of the spear pierced their black armour as if it had been an origami model. The spears stuck in the gate, effectively nailing both of them to it.

The captain was still letting out painful moans. I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up with one hand, slamming him against the thick steel-reinforced wooden gate. The blood was pouring out of his eyes. His face was a crimson mask, and his moustache was clotted with dried-up blood. "Lang The Barbaric," I said in my most menacing tone. It should have been simply enough for him to understand what my goal was. But to my surprise, he started laughing. Not loudly, it was more like a grin. As he smiled, I could see his crooked teeth. They were still white, but as he opened his mouth to speak, blood dripped on his lips and before his sentence was finished, they were as maroon as his cape.

"You won't get in," he uttered. "The gate only opens from the inside." He smiled again. I wondered if he could still see me.

"We'll see about that," I replied, and took a few steps backward, never releasing him.

XXX_XXX_XXX

As I had expected, the wood shattered. A well-aimed chi-enforced throw to the middle of the gate using Captain Sung's body as a projectile had done the trick. Now would come the tricky part. I had no idea how many men were going to be on the inside and if they were ready for me. Anyway, it was too late to turn back now. Surely Tiang would've chastised me for my reckless behaviour. He was always more the thinking type. This was something Tang would do. Meet a challenge head-on, and if something stands in your way, obliterate it. Quite honestly, I had always preferred that tactic. I wasn't the thinking type either. I preferred to rely on my instincts. And I felt this was not the time for carefulness. Besides, there was no time to lose. I couldn't afford two days of scouting, three days to come up with a solid fail-proof plan, and at least another to execute it. No, I had to rely on my strength. Of which I had plenty.

I heard excited voices on the other side of the gate. I rammed it all the way open with my foot, and I saw at least a dozen men scrambling towards their weapons. Another five were already armed and prepared, and they charged at me the moment I set foot in the courtyard. I took a quick glance at my surroundings, just to get a feel of the environment. It was a courtyard consisting of nothing of bare rock, save the pirate banners hanging on the entrance to the first level. They had a few horses and some stalls set up, and I saw abandoned little tables where some of them had been playing dice. There were two other large gates: one that led to the harbour behind the castle, and one that went higher up. The men who had earlier been running for their weapons now started to form a defensive line in front of both gates. I had only need to use one of them. But it was clear that the only way to get to Lang The Barbaric would be to cut down every single man who didn't run away. And the longer I waited, the more organized they would strike.

I took the longsword from my back, It was big, almost like a broadsword, but light as a feather. A direct consequence from both my superior physical strength and the superior craftsmanship of the Imperial City's smiths. All pirates used the same, standard longsword and wore the same outfit as the guards in front of the castle. That told me one thing: they were standardized and organized, which made them dangerous, but also predictable. I had expected more opposition, but my earlier hopes had come true: the castle was probably relatively empty due to ongoing piracy on the Grandfather River and the Glass Ocean. It pained me to realize that my task was made easier by the blood of innocent fishermen, merchants and other sailors. I used that mental image to boost my spirit, and infuse each of my strikes with chi.

The five men charging me were not without skill, but they were too hasty, which made them blind. They tried to encircle me, but I swung my sword around my head, unleashing an area attack that drove them back several yards. I leapt to the nearest one, lifting my sword and bringing it down. He tried to block, but he wasn't nearly powerful enough to stop the impact from being lethal. His sword shattered in his hands, and my sword was driven into his neck. Another approached me from behind, but I gave him a heel kick to the gut. He bent over, and I stuck my blade right in his neck. The other three came at me simultaneously, but I blocked their incoming strikes. The impact made their swords bounce back, rendering them defenceless and in one giant sweep, I opened their throats. Blood spurted from their dying bodies, and the defensive lines near the two sets of gates looked at each other worryingly. They expected me to charge at them, so that's exactly what I didn't do. Taking on a dozen men in close quarters was reckless, even in this situation.

I planted my sword in the ground, and held up my arms. I called forth the magic power of Ice Shard, and my forearms became encased in ice. With flicks of my wrists, I shot forth sharp spikes and solid rocks of ice at my enemies, who had lined up to defend the gate, making them very easy targets. Some managed to dodge, but most were too slow, and had their limbs pierced or their heads shattered. Others were lucky enough to receive a lump on their breastplate, knocking them over and having their breath taken away, but surviving. After my barrage was over, five of them were still alive. Throwing any notion of combat tactics out of the window, they rushed at me in blind rage with their swords held high above their heads. The fools. Two others I managed to shoot in the head with Ice Shard, almost decapitating them. The three others that had come closer almost managed to hit me, but I took two of them by the collar and smashed their heads against each other. They survived, but were knocked out. That was good enough for me. I threw them to the side. Only one man was lucky enough to remain standing. He realized he was alone and that there was no way he could win this fight. I saw the longsword shake in his hands as he defiantly pointed it at me; but I sensed his last remannts of courage had been knocked out along with his last two companions. I swatted the sword out of his hands. It clattered to the floor several yards away. He fell backwards, and crawled away. He eventually got up on his feet, and without looking back, he ran away. I took up a sword of one of the knocked down guards, and hurled it at him. It caught him right in the shoulder blades. He hit the floor squirming and crawled forward about half a yard before his head hit the floor and his spirit was sent to the Wheel. I would've liked to let him live, but I couldn't risk him calling reinforcements.

I looked at the carnage in the courtyard. Over a dozen bodies were dead on the floor, their blood colouring the stone crimson. Making sure nobody was still alive or twitching, I walked over to the gate. To my satisfaction, these ones could be opened from the outside. Surely the worst was behind me now. I swung the wooden doors open, and started climbing the steps to the next level...

XXX_XXX_XXX

I reached the top level before long. I hadn't had much resistance. Most levels had been poorly defended. Every level had its own guards, but they became fewer in number the higher I went. I found this strange. If properly defended, this castle could become impenetrable but for heavy siege weapons and an overwhelming force of skilled warriors. It was obvious that they had had battle plans and had prepared to fend off any kind of assault, but they obviously had never expected anyone would be foolish enough to actually try and attack them. I couldn't blame them. Any lesser man than myself wouldn't even have made it past the surrounding walls. I had caught them by surprise, and they had panicked, intimidated by my strength and unsure of what to do. Their lines had fallen into disarray, making it easy for me to tear them apart. Sometimes literally. I had never tasted combat as brutal as this before. Not at my hands.

After having dealt with the last of Lang's men, I knocked on the door of The Barbaric's private quarters. I didn't know why, and it seemed silly the moment I did it. I carefully opened the door. I was on my guard. His forces hadn't been that much of a challenge, but a leader of men tended to be powerful. There was no telling what kind of martial prowess or magic Lang The Barbaric possessed. The wooden door creaked in its hinges. It wasn't anything like the sliding doors we had at the Imperial Palace. These doors swung open instead of going sideways, like a gate. It seemed a bit strange and impractical to me, but then again the entire castle had a bit of an outlandish feel to it. Undoubtedly it was heavily influenced by the many different cultures that passed through these parts. It was located by the sea and the Southern border after all... And among the pirates I had dealt with on the way I had noticed some pale-skinned fighters as well. They were extremely rare in the Imperial City. In fact, apart from Tang and his father, I had never seen one before.

"I know why you have come," a voice greeted me the moment I stepped inside. As soon as I laid eyes on the man, I knew who he was. He was dressed in an elegant maroon robe, with the burning black ship across it. He was big and broad-shouldered. His robes hid much of his figure, but I was certain he was very muscular, too. It was strange, meeting a man who was as tall as me. I had become used to looking down at people. And yet, despite his shape and size, he looked old. Long grey hairs formed an impressive moustache, and the colour had faded from his black hair too. It was combed back, held in place by a massive braid. My eyes wandered to his hands, and my heart skipped a beat. He was holding two scrolls. They could only be one thing.

"The scrolls," I said, and he nodded.

"I know, Jin, son of Pin the Courageous. Do you think I'm blind? Do you take me for a fool? I have received word not long ago. Zao the Abated has betrayed us, and Zong the Wicked lies dead in his castle, which has been occupied by farmers and peasants." I looked at him. What was he talking about? He knew I was coming? Did that mean Tiang and Linmei had been successful? It gave me reason to rejoice and worry. "I have been waiting for you, Prince Jin. And you walked right into my trap." He grinned. I heard footsteps coming from the levels below. "I wanted you to know you failed," Lang continued, "to know how stupid you were to think that you could outsmart and overpower Lang the Barbaric and his forces." The footsteps became louder, and more numerous. "I drained my castle of its forces, lying in wait for you to arrive, and follow you the moment you stepped inside... And kill you the moment you believed you had achieved success." My heart was racing. This couldn't be!

"Give me the Scrolls," I said. I was surprised by how weak my voice sounded. There were probably dozens upon dozens of men coming right after me. In this little room, numbers meant little, but I could still be overwhelmed. And there was no way out.

"I think not," Lang the Barbaric grinned. "Sagacious Tien's time has come, and he must go. After I finish with you here, I will deal with that young princeling and his little whore, and reclaim the Scrolls they stole. After that, the Empire will fall into disarray. And who better to rule the Jade Empire than Lang, the man who possesses the Six Holy Scrolls, chosen by the Dragons themselves?" He smiled.

"You're delusional," I replied, shaking my head. "Mad with power and ambition. You think the Dragons will tolerate you? It was Sagacious Tien who built this Empire, and even then only through their blessings. It is his bloodline that must rule."

"Not if it ends," Lang replied. "Not if Prince Tiang lies dead. If the bloodline of Sagacious Tien ends, only the strongest can rise up and claim power! And with no one to command the Imperial Army with The Outlander gone, no one will be able to oppose me and have any hopes of victory." Armed men appeared at the door. Three of them aimed spears at me. I looked behind them. There were warriors at the ready, as far as I could see. I knew my own strengths. I knew my limits. This was not a fight I could win. And I could not escape. "There is no way out," Lang said as if he could read my mind, "surrender, and your life might be spared. You can live your life in shame, going by title of Jin The Fearful. But a life of shame is still better than no life at all, wouldn't you say?" He smiled. Again. It made my blood boil.

"Even if you succeed, you will never become Emperor," I said defiantly. "There are those who can oppose you, those who are much stronger than you." The first man to pop up in my mind was Tang. His father had led the Imperial Army for decades. He could take over and beat this Pirate Lord and his band of crooks back. "The son of The Outlander can..."

"Can what?" Lang interrupted me. "With his father dead, do you still trust he will come to the aid of those who did not help him? The Outlander's death has shattered his spirit, so my spies in the Imperial Palace tell me. He is no longer the man he was. He spends his days in his room, weeping, Not eating. Barely sleeping. A broken teenager is no Grand General, and certainly no threat to my power."

"That is a lie," I said. I did not believe what he was saying. He couldn't possibly know all that. I knew Tang, nothing could get to him. While I had last seen him, he had returned to the Imperial City to bury his father. But he had sworn revenge! Not... this.

"Believe what you will. It matters not." He looked past me, at the men standing in the doorway. "Kill him," he commanded with a wave of his arm, and the men rushed inside the room.

"NOOO!" I shouted, rushing forward at Lang. It was a move he had not anticipated. I rammed him, shoulder to his gut. He was elevated, and I slammed him against the outer wall of his chambers, near the small opening in the wall that looked out over the Glass Ocean. The room filled itself with enemies, but I pushed myself against the wall, using Lang as a human shield. I didn't know what to do. But I wasn't going to die. Not today. Not like this.

"Your survival instincts are to be commended," Lang said. I had no desire to hear him any more. I put my arm over his throat, choking him. But not too tightly. If he died, my only leverage died with him.

"Tell your men to back away. Quickly!" I released his throat a bit. Enough for him to whisper orders at his men, who didn't know what to do.

"You lose, little Princeling," Lang said, and he started pushing me against the wall with his back. He was incredibly strong. The pressure on my chest was more immense than anything I had ever felt. He knew I couldn't kill him now, not without his troops skewering me on their spears after. Instead, he was trying to squeeze the air out of me. I started fading, but I would not give up. This was too pathetic a way too die, to be killed by my human shield. So I started pushing the wall behind me, too. Much like Lang was trying to suffocate me between the wall and himself, I started pushing backwards. But the stone would not give. "What are you doing?" Lang said when he noticed what I was doing. "Even if you manage to break through the wall, we are hundreds of feet above the water. If we fall, we land in the Sea, and the Scrolls will perish. Fool!"

"I will not let you keep them!" I was thinking back of everything I had ever learned in training. Any technique or skill that could help me survive this and walk away with the Scrolls unscathed. I came up with something. It was desperate and reckless. But it was the only thing I could think of. "Heavenly Wave!" I shouted. It was a technique I had learned at a young age, but had barely ever used. I manipulated the chi in the area around my opponents with an area attack, slowing them to a crawl. That should've given me at least a two-second window. I pushed forward, using all of my focus. The enemies in the room had been slowed to a crawl, barely able to move. It wouldn't be long before the effects wore off. Channelling all my internal chi to my right shoulder, I charged at the thick granite. The stone burst, although I felt something crack in my shoulder. I feared I had cracked it severely, but I ignored it.

Lang was right. We were falling down, with nothing but water below us. We had mere seconds until we would hit the water and the Scrolls would be vanquished, their text washed away by the salt water. Nothing could prevent that, lest I grew wings. I had heard of transformation techniques that made it possible, but had never been taught those. Very few people could, and it required direct interaction with demonic forces to comprehend such a style. I closed my eyes, letting my instincts guide me, and hoped that somehow it would all turn out all right. I snatched the Scrolls from Lang's hands, and aimed my good arm at the sea. Ice enveloped my arm, and I sent forth a cone of icy wind that froze the sea underneath upon impact. A variation of Ice Shard's power, one that Tang had once taught me, created a small platform for me to safely land on. I channelled what little chi I had left to my lower legs and knees. I did not want to shatter them.

I landed safely, but the ice cracked. Lang fell into the water behind me, miraculously surviving the fall. I was exhausted, but I still had some energy left. I used the ice cone to create a path that would safely guide my back to the back, keeping the scrolls safe from harm.

"After him!" a voice behind me gargled. "Now!" I looked behind me, and saw Lang the Barbaric swimming, shouting orders at his forces that were all trying to catch a glimpse of what had transpired. Many of them stood in the opening in Lang's chambers, amazed by the display. They hurried down, but I had a big head start. Once reaching the beach, I ran towards the village. I had no doubt I would make it from there, although my shoulder started to ache severely. I just hoped the good people of Two Rivers hadn't eaten my horse yet...


	14. The Great Dragon

29 days had passed since Tiang, Linmei and Jin had gone their separate ways. 29 days had passed since they had set out to find all six of the Heavenly Scrolls. A lot had happened in the mean time.

Tiang was poking a small camp fire with a stick. It kept most predators at bay. At least, that's what Tiang suspected. The smoke prickled his nose. It stunk, or so he thought, but kept him warm. He chose the lesser of two discomforts. The days were getting shorter and the nights colder. He wasn't used to sleeping under the stars. Whether it were his luxurious quarters in the Imperial Palace with soft pillows and silk sheets, or the damp chambers in Zong's former castle, he preferred a roof over his head.

After having defeated Zong the Wicked, Tiang had stayed with Jejna and Jene for a while longer, helping them settle into Zong's castle. With his village destroyed, Tiang had given it to Jejna as not only a sign of gratitude, but he also hoped it would give the old man some comfort. He had lost his son in the attack, and many close friends. The property wouldn't give Jejna back his beloved, but at least he no longer had to worry about any primary needs.  
After the battle, Tiang had revealed his identity as the Prince of the Jade Empire. They had treated him as royalty ever since; they gave him the best food, the best beds, and wanted to look after his every need. Tiang didn't like it at first, but thinking back on it, he was afraid by how quickly he had become accustomed to it. When he was younger, he had always tried to convince himself he was above such things, but now he wasn't so sure. Sooner or later, Tiang was going to be Emperor, and he hoped that he could be an Emperor who served his people; not the other way around. Resisting temptation had already proven difficult. He assumed that with time, experience and maturity, it would become either easier or impossible.

A small gust of wind made the flames wither, then flare up again. Tiang looked up from the entrancing orange flames. He heard something in the distance. Soft, silent footsteps, muffled by the grassy plains. It was hard to make out anything that was more than a couple of yards away from the camp fire, but he could tell by the sound of its treads that it was definitely human. His hand let go of the stick and wandered over to Tien's Justice, the monk spade that lay next to him. The footsteps, faint as they were, sounded determined, with a set goal. Tiang tapped into his magic powers, letting his proficiency with Stone Immortal do the work. He had become increasingly adept at this, but it was still a very hard thing to do. The footsteps vibrated through the Earth. They emanated from rather small feet, but the pace was strong. A powerful, grown woman was Tiang's bet, and it put him considerably at ease. His grip on Tien's Justice loosened, as there was only one plausible explanation.

"Tiang? Jin? Is that you?" He would recognize her angelic voice even in a choir of dragonling maidens. He got to his feet, as Linmei's shadow fell upon him. Tiang sprung to his feet, his body longing for her touch. Even before the camp fire's flames could illuminate her, Tiang rushed towards her, hugging her tightly. He was pleased that his loving embrace was returned in full force. They had had some harsh words before they had gone their separate ways, but had ultimately left on more than good terms. Not an hour had passed since their separation without Tiang longing for Linmei's touch; the scent of her hair, the firm softness of her breasts pressing against his chest, her controlled breathing heating up his earlobes in the cold night. Now that the moment had finally arrived, he savoured every split second. When the hug inevitably came to an end, Tiang looked at her face. Even in this darkness she looked stunning. An unrivalled beauty whose good looks were reserved for men in position of power. Tiang had never felt luckier to be a Prince than at that moment, realizing fully well he would never have even met her had he been a farmer's son.  
"I missed you," Tiang whispered.  
"I can tell," she replied. "I missed you too, my Prince." She kissed Tiang on the lips. It felt like his mouth was ablaze with the breath of the Great Dragon. His instinctive shyness wanted him to jerk his head away; but he had changed, grown more confident after standing up to Zong and his vicious band of miscreants. He cupped the back of her head with his hand. She wasn't going anywhere.

For the next couple of minutes they just stood there, a loving couple. The cold did not bother them. They were pressed tightly against each other, and the distant heat of the camp fire still managed to provide a little bit of comfort. It wasn't until Tiang's lips became tired that he reluctantly broke away from Linmei. After all, those were muscles he had never used much.  
"Have you heard from Jin?" he asked. He couldn't care less about Jin at this very moment, but he wanted to say something to cover up his shortcomings as a kisser; wanted to mask it by acting like there were pressing matters at hand. Linmei shook her head sideways. Tiang could smell the pheromones in her hair as it shook. He awkwardly shifted the position of his thighs, slightly away from hers. Things were stirring down there, and he didn't want to ruin the magic of the moment by coming across as a horny teenager.  
"Not a word since we parted ways. But Jin is strong. He'll be here." She stroked his hair and smiled, then buried her head in his chest; her right cheek resting on his sternum. Tiang placed his chin on top of her skull. "Give him a couple more hours. He's had a long way to travel." Tiang nodded, and they retreated to the campfire. Linmei's company and the fire's entrancing flames soon sent the Prince to sleep.

When Tiang awoke, it was already dawn. The fire had died out, but he could still feel Linmei's body next to his. His vision was blurry, but after blinking a few times it cleared up. He saw the shape of an enormous man sitting at the opposite side of the smouldering logs; one that he would recognize everywhere. "Jin?" Tiang whispered hoarsely, his mouth dry from the smoke he had breathed in all night. His cousin looked up. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, sharpening his longsword with a piece of grinding stone he had picked up during his travels. Jin smiled as he saw Tiang's sleepy head rise up.

"I'd almost forgotten what poor watchmen you two are," Jin grinned. "Not only could I see your camp fire from miles away, you two were in such a deep sleep I couldn't have woken you if I tried." Tiang sat straight, careful not to wake up Linmei, but to no avail. As he stirred, he could see her eyes open. "Then again," Jin continued, "you were snoring so loudly it would have kept predators smaller than rhino and elephant demons at bay. An unusual, but effective way of securing a camp site, I'll give you that." Tiang wasn't exactly in the mood for banter. He was glad to see his cousin, but for now there was only one question on his mind.  
"The Scrolls?" Tiang asked as Linmei also sat up straight. She smiled brightly as she saw Jin.

"Got them right here," Jin answered, tapping a big leather satchel next to him. "I'm assuming the two of you were successful too?" Both Linmei and Tiang nodded, and Jin got on his feet. "Great. Then I guess we should do this. We can exchange stories after we cure your father."

Linmei insisted they didn't leave before having something to eat. Tiang eagerly agreed; he was hungry and wanted the taste of ashes gone from his mouth. Linmei had some greens left, and Jin surprised them with the most delicious blend of tea he said some kind riverfolk had gifted him upon his departure. "I saved a bit for Tang too. The man loves his tea," Jin said with a smile. Tiang didn't want to think about Tang too much. Those memories had a way of annoying him, and now was not the time for such nuisances.

After having cleared their kettle and put out their fire, Tiang grabbed hold of Tien's Justice. It was time to meet the Prophet and call forth the Great Dragon. Everything they'd worked for these past couple of weeks was about to pay off.

Tiang raised his Spade in the air. By divine magic, the mountains in the distance approached them. It looked as if the Earth itself was shifting, yet not a single quake or tremble could be felt. It was a magnificent sensation, entering a part of the world that the Gods themselves had sealed off to ordinary men. Only people great enough to change the world could even hope to ever enter this chain of mountains.

Tiang didn't try to comprehend how this kind of magic worked. Some things were simply above him, even as the future Emperor. He hoped his people would later show the same attitude when it came to matters of state and public welfare. He hoped he wouldn't have to worry about such matters of grave importance for many years to come.

The mountains looked very much the same as when they had first come here. Rocky outcrops dotted the surroundings, preceding the slopes of the massive mountains that were now towering above them. There was hardly any vegetation, save some patches of grass that had managed to work their way through the pebbles on the ground, and no wildlife to be seen. For a divine area reserved to the privileged and powerful it looked rather dull and ordinary.

With every step, the tiny rocks ground together underneath their boots. Tiang was glad this wasn't an operation that required stealth.

"I think we should make for higher ground," Jin said, looking up at the mountaintops. "We can't run around the mountain in circles, the Dragon Priest's cabin wasn't on the outskirts but further in. He probably doesn't know we're here so he isn't looking for us."

"He did last time," Tiang argued. "But you're right, let's get higher." They ascended the mountain until the slopes became too steep to walk. The area looked dead and lifeless, not even a gust of wind to liven up the sober surroundings. They remembered little from when they had last been here, and could recall no landmarks that could hint at the location of the Priest's abode.

"I don't get it, Linmei said, breaking the silence that had been lingering between the trio, "last time he knew we were here, and he hurried to be the bearer of bad news. Now that he can actually help us, he's nowhere to be seen."

"You think something happened to him?" Jin asked, looking back at her over his shoulder, his long raven hair swooping to the side as he did so. Linmei shrugged in response.

"No idea. It's possible."

"Unlikely," Tiang intervened, stubbornly shaking his head. "No one could have reached this place, and I don't believe for a second he could've died of natural causes. My guess is he doesn't want to be found." He stopped and sat down, as if he was giving up the search. Jin and Linmei immediately followed his example, grateful for the break. Meandering around a large heap of barren rock wasn't exactly the most exciting of tasks.

"But why?" Jin wondered, staring at the ground.

"My guess is he's ashamed," Tiang replied. "Or even afraid. Under his watch, the Six Heavenly Scrolls were stolen. He lost one of the greatest secrets known to man. His own disciple got killed. If he dies too soon, many of his order's secrets and techniques that have been passed down over the centuries will die with him. He's left apprenticeless and heirless, and has brought great shame to himself. Helping us means he will face the dragon. That means facing his mistakes. Wouldn't you rather avoid such a conflict?" Tiang looked up at Jin. Seeing him like this, he could swear his cousin had grown even bigger and stronger during the days they had been apart. As Jin shrugged, his muscles rippled all over his enormous chest.

"I guess it depends on your adversary. Which in this case is pretty big. But if he won't come out voluntarily, how do we get him to come out of his shell?"

"You won't have to," Linmei suddenly interrupted. The day was growing darker, but as she pointed to the East, they could clearly see a thin line of smoke taking to the sky. "Smoke, fire, priest," she summed up. Tiang rose back to his feet, the prospect of finding their target reinvigorating him instantly.

"Well spotted," he smiled at Linmei as he walked past her. It took them half an hour to finally reach the Priest's cabin. To their disappointment, they found the wooden cabin to be completely empty, save for the furniture resting on the rocky floor. The Spirit Font was humming merrily, but that was the only sign of activity they found.

"Damn it all," Jin sighed as he pounded the wooden wall with his fist. He splintered some of the planks, and the wind from outside started whistling through the cracks. "Do you think he made a run for it?"

"Being ashamed is one thing," Linmei argued, "forsaking his duty altogether is another. Let's just wait for him, he's bound to turn up. Otherwise he wouldn't leave his Spirit Font behind."

Jin and Tiang nodded in approval. There was truth to what she was saying. Spirit Fonts were rare, precious items, and very coveted by warriors, monks, magicians and the likes. They had magical healing powers, restoring both bodily injuries and loss of chi through exertion instantly. If the Dragon's Disciple had really left his post, he would have taken it with him. Any kind of beast of burden could easily carry it. Spirit Fonts were surprisingly light.

Tiang sat himself down on one of the few wooden chairs scattered around the small cabin. The earthen floor was hard and dry, but the prospect of sleeping on such a tough surface was not very appealing. Even when sleeping outside, a patch of grass could always provide a measure of comfort, no matter how small. "I guess the only thing we can do now is wait until he ret..." Tiang stopped talking. His brown boot shuffled over the floor. Something was off.

"What's the matter?" Linmei asked, noticing how something had distracted the Prince. Tiang didn't respond. He got off the chair and crouched down, letting his palms rest on the floor.

"Is the stone telling you something?" Jin asked. Tiang still didn't answer. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.

"What is happening?" Linmei asked again, but this time directed her question towards Jin.

"Masters of Stone Immortal can sense vibrations in the stone," Jin explained, "sensing their surroundings, as well as the presence of others. Tiang is no master by any means, but sometimes he gets... well, call them flashes if you will. His connection to the earth isn't strong enough, so he can't always do it at will. Sometimes they appear randomly. Like that time he was able to rip Saed Tisst's fortress down. I can't really explain why."

They looked back at Tiang, who opened his eyes and stared back at them. "He's here," he said and rose back to his feet. "Show yourself!" he shouted into thin air. Jin let his fingers wander off to the hilt of his longsword. Linmei tightened the grip on her staff.

"There will be no need for that," a voice behind them said. Jin and Linmei started, twisting around. Jin's longsword slid from its sheath, holding it in front of him.

"You," Tiang breathed as they saw the Dragon's Disciple appear. "Why were you hiding? And where?" The Priest smiled gently, though there was great sadness in his eyes. He had grown noticeably older. His long, black beard was salted with many shades of grey and white, and the wrinkles around his eyes had grown even deeper. He still towered above them, his tall frame rising so high he almost touched the ceiling, but his shoulders were hunched and his back was crooked. Little remained of the sprightly old guy they had encountered a month ago.

"I have been with you all this time, Prince Tiang," he replied in his creaky voice. "The second you set foot on the Smoking Mountains I was standing right beside you."

"Nonsense," Jin answered back. "We would've seen, heard, smelled. We would've known your presence."

"Hiding your presence is easy if you know how. Is being invisible so much stranger than conjuring up shards of ice from your hands?" was the Priest's rebuttal. "I must admit, I was surprised when I sensed your arrival. I had not anticipated your return."

"Why not?" Tiang asked more brusquely than he had intended.

"Because he did not anticipate our success," Jin answered in his stead. Jin's displeasure at this fact was dripping off his words.

"If you were with us, you must have known we were looking for you," Linmei intervened. "You must've heard us. Why hide? Is it true what we were saying? Are you ashamed? Afraid?" Unlike Tiang or Jin, Linmei sounded almost concerned. Her voice was soft and caring, as beautiful as the rise of the sun.

The Priest looked away, staring at the ground. It was as clear an answer as a thousand words would've been. He walked further into the cabin. Last time the trio had seen him, he had moved about very nimbly for a man his age. Now he moved as if time had finally caught up with him: slow and carefully. "I have failed in every way possible," the Priest nodded, sitting himself down on one of his wooden chairs, exhaling deeply as his bottom touched the wood. "I heard what you said about me. My cowardice. It is true, I shall not deny it. Your return, reading the Scrolls, calling forth the Great Dragon... It will be my doom. The Gods will punish me for letting them down."

"Not just the Gods," Jin sneered, but Tiang ignored his comment.

"The Dragons believe in us," he said, shaking his head sideways. "They have already helped me on my journey. When I was captured and all hope seemed lost, I called to the Great Dragon. He helped me, lent me his strength. They want us to succeed, I know it. But we can't succeed without your help. We need to interact with them directly. We need answers. Only you can read these scrolls."

"You think the Dragon lent you his strength? You underestimate the power of your blood, Tiang, son of Sagacious Tien. Your bloodline possesses divine power, that is why your father was chosen to unite the kingdoms and create the Jade Empire. Your are his sole heir. All the strength he possessed now runs in you."

"I'm not a great fighter by any stretch of the imagination. I have suffered defeat in combat more times..." he stopped halfway, as if he was ashamed to finish his sentence, "...more times than I care to count."

"You still presume power is determined by prowess in combat and by that alone. You were born to be Emperor, Tiang. You have more power than the greatest of warriors. You have power they will never possess," he softly spoke, pointing at Jin and Linmei. "Once you learn how to focus and channel your abilities, no one can hurt you."

Tiang eased up. Visions of himself crushing Tang's head underneath his boot started running through his head. In his short daydream, Linmei ran up to him and kissed him, while they laughed at Tang's broken body underneath his foot. He shook his head, dispersing the vision that was clouding his mind. He had to repress a shiver. If only the idea of such power could corrupt his mind, what would real power do to him? He tried not to think about it. He was grateful when Jin broke the silence.

"We didn't come here to talk of your failure or to talk of what Tiang might be capable of. We came here to talk to the Great Dragon. And you will help us. I don't give a damn about your reservations, you have a duty. To your gods, to this country and to your Emperor. You can get the shit stains out of your robes after you read the Scrolls."

"Oh lay off him, Jin," Linmei sighed. "That kind of behaviour isn't going to get us anywhere." She walked over to the Priest and got on one knee next to him. She took his veined hand and wrapped her own soft fingers around it. "Self-sacrifice is the greatest form of courage. Yes, the Scrolls were taken from you. Yes, you are the last of your Order. Yes, you are afraid. Yes, the Dragons might punish you. But facing your failures, facing your fears, that is true bravery. Courage can't exist without fear."

The Disciple looked up, and stared into Linmei's eyes. After a few seconds, the slightest of smiles curved his lips. "You are right, Lotus Flower. You are right." He rose from his chair, his hand gently slipping from Linmei's touch. "Give me the Scrolls, my lord Prince. It is time we call forth the Great Dragon, the creator of our world."

XXX

Hours had passed since the Priest had begun the chant. All four of them were sitting cross-legged on the cabin's floor, not having moved a muscle since. When the Priest had opened the Scrolls, they had seen scripture they did not understand. Strange, curly letters that softly shimmered had been written all over the parchment. They had been instructed not to make a sound, close their eyes and sit still for as long as it took to read the words in Dragon tongue. While the Priest was humming away in a deep, warm voice that nowhere near resembled his own, Tiang's patience was wearing thin. The urge to move his sleeping legs was growing by the minute, and the pain in his lower back became almost too hard to bear. He wondered if Jin and Linmei were having the same problems, but he dare not open his eyes.

After several more minutes of physical and mental torture, the chant stopped abruptly. Tiang felt a sudden rush of wind bristle through his hair. The hard rock underneath his bottom became soft, and he felt the touch of grass. The dark shadow that covered his eyelids lightened up, transforming into a bright pink hue. He wanted to speak up, open his eyes, move about, but he felt both too excited and too afraid to do so. He wondered if it had worked, and what wonders he might behold once his eyelids broke the darkness. He waited for leave from the Priest, but it was another voice entirely that made him open his eyes.

"We're here," he heard Jin say and he finally dared to look. He saw Jin and Linmei getting up and followed their example, eagerly trying to rub the soreness from his muscles and bones. The Priest was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is 'here'?" Linmei wondered out loud. They were standing in the most beautiful, lush garden Tiang had ever beheld. Astonishing crimson and jade-coloured flowers were scattered throughout the garden, and breathtaking plants in the shape of a flying dragon rose up from the soil. When Tiang walked past them, they radiated with heat.

"They smell heavenly," Linmei remarked as she stood next to Tiang, sniffing up the scent.

"That's probably because we are in heaven," Jin said, joining them. "Or some sort of heaven, at least."

Tiang agreed. "The Dragon's heaven." He proceeded to take in the smell of the dragonflowers. Linmei was right, they smelled exactly like a heaven was supposed to smell. Sweet and enticing, not the slightest hint of evil or malice.

Tiang popped a joint in his knee as he walked on. After having been seated for so long, the release felt good. After about a minute, they arrived at a hedge that seemed to seal off the garden. It only came to their waists, but beyond was a cliff that went down as far as the eye could see. And even then, there wasn't a trace of darkness. When they looked down, they could only see bright clouds that looked like big fluffy cotton balls, and when they looked ahead they saw naught but azure skies and other islands in the distance that resembled theirs.

"What do we do now?" Jin asked as he peered down.

"Wait, I guess," Linmei suggested. Jin sighed deeply.

"I'm tired of waiting." The big man sat himself down nonetheless, and laid down in the grass. "This feels lovely," he remarked. "Compared to this, the grass in our realm might as well be prickly straw."

Tiang stood over his massive frame. There was something funny about seeing someone like Jin lying down in the grass and talking about how soft it was.

"The Dragon will come when he wants to come," he said, trying to stay focused on the matter at hand. "I should've known he wasn't going to appear out of thin air when we read the Scrolls. The Dragon isn't summoned, he would never allow mortals to control him like that."

"Correct," a sweet yet unknown voice behind them said. Tiang, Jin and Linmei started, and instinctively grabbed for their weapons only to see them evaporate at the first touch. They turned around, looking for whoever had sneaked up on them. They saw a pale woman with almost translucent skin. She was about as tall as Tiang was, and very beautiful. She wore a blue robe that covered most of her body, yet the bumps on her chest were clearly visible. Her head was decorated with a golden tiara from which a pearl hang, decorating her brow. Blue hair flowed down from her scalp, moving and looking like water.

All three of them knelt before her, noticing that she didn't support herself with legs, but hovered a couple of inches above the ground. She smiled gently at them. "I am the Water Dragon," she stated matter-of-factly. Jin looked up in amazement, before going back to reverting his eyes.

"The shepherd of the dead," he breathed. It was not a question. She nodded.

"Are we dead?" Tiang asked. He feared her answer, but once again she smiled gently and nodded her head sideways, her blue, watery hair softly jiggling.

"No, Prince Tiang, you are not dead. The Great Dragon has asked me to guide you to him. Guiding the living shouldn't be much harder than guiding the dead, right?"

Tiang didn't dare to answer, not even with a faint smile. This was a God! He had never thought he would exchange pleasantries with one of them, let alone the Water Dragon herself.

"Rise," she said, motioning them. As she did so, she revealed long, dark claws for fingers, that sprung from a scaly palm. They got up, but kept their head down. The Water Dragon seemed to be amused by this. "It's all right, you can look at me," she whispered softly, with a slight grin curving her pink lips. Jin was the first to directly address her.

"We apologize most deeply for trying to raise our weapons against you, Water Dragon." Tiang noticed a sincere regret in his voice. It was probably the right thing to say.

"We will speak no more of it," she answered. "You three have proven yourself to be most capable. By reaching this place alone, you have deserved an audience with the Great Dragon, an honour bestowed upon very few mortals."

"Does he know why we are here?" Tiang asked. He was surprised by the sound of his voice. It was shaky and faint, like a whimpering child.

"He is the Dragon," she replied, as if that was answer enough. She extended one of her claws. "Come, take my hand. He is waiting."

The sheer size of the Dragon was breathtaking. He was lying on the ground, as if resting. When they had grabbed the Water Dragon's hand, they had been transported here, to this grassy plain. There was nothing but grass, as far as the eye could see. The ground was as flat as a varnished table. The Water Dragon stood next to the Great One, dwarfed by its massive height. Tiang estimated he would be as tall as the Imperial Palace itself, and that was while lying on the ground. As he inhaled and exhaled, his white belly went up and down, travelling several yards with every slow, deep breath.

The Dragon itself was pitch-black and looked almost exactly like he was portrayed in the many paintings that hung in the Palace. A giant reptile, with razor-sharp claws and fangs, and gigantic wings as black as night stemming from its shoulders. Its head was as large as a mansion, and its teeth taller than several ogres standing on each other's shoulders. Under his nose, in which you could easily fit an ox, was a long, thin moustache made of flesh. Its head was resting on its tail, its long neck curved alongside its belly just like his tail was.

"They're here," the Water Dragon said, and her master opened its eyes. Its ebony pupils were surrounded by irises of fiery orange. It peered at Tiang, Jin and Linmei, who all three were suddenly overcome with fear.

"Don't be afraid," the Water Dragon said gently, as if sensing their dread. "You may speak. The Great Dragon will hear your plea." It put them at ease somewhat. Jin and Linmei both looked at Tiang. It was obvious they were expecting him to do the talking. He would rather run away, curl up into a ball, close his eyes, pretend it was all just a dream and wake up in his soft bed in the Imperial Palace. But he knew this was real. And it was his only shot at curing his father. So he cleared his throat, trying to sound self-assured and valorous.

"Almighty Dragon, I come on behalf of my Emperor Father, Sagacious Tien." He was waiting for a response, but none came. The Dragon continued to look at him, unmoved. It did not put Tiang at ease. "As you may know, my father has fallen gravely ill. Speculation has run rampant throughout the land, some even saying that his illness is a punishment from the Heavens... from eh... a punishment... from you," he stammered. There was no response. The Dragon's eyes remained focused on him, but stayed immobile, save for his belly going up and down. "I have come here to beg you to cure him, to remove this terrible affliction so that my father may be spared and rule the Jade Empire for many more years to come." Still there was no response. Tiang's earlier fear was turning into desperation. Why wasn't he getting a response? Did the Dragon think him unworthy? Or did it simply treat all mortals this way? "I love my father, as you sure can understand," Tiang continued, feeling uncomfortable in silence, "and I fear that without him, the Jade Empire may fall into disarray. Several people have already tried, stealing the Heavenly Scrolls from the Smoking Mountains and preparing to stage a coup. My cousin Jin, my beloved Linmei and I have managed to prevent that, but... we need our father. To restore balance and order, and to properly prepare me for the role of Emperor." There was nothing more Tiang could come up with. He held his tongue, afraid to look into the Great Dragon's eyes, which looked as if they were ablaze. A minute passed without a response, as if the Dragon was considering his request. Then, he sighed through his nostrils, a gust of wind so powerful it almost knocked Tiang, Jin and Linmei off their feet.

"_It is too late," _Tiang heard a voice in his head say. It was deep and booming, and made his eardrums rumble, yet the sound came from inside of his head it seemed. Jin and Linmei heard the same. They looked around, wondering what the source was, but it could have been no one else than the Great Dragon itself.

"Too late?" Tiang answered. "I do not understand?"

"_Emperor Tien is dead."_ Blunt and forward, the words hit Tiang like a sledgehammer.

"...dead?" Tiang repeated, dazed. He averted his eyes, staring at the ground. He could feel Jin and Linmei looking at him. He didn't dare to look back. The inevitable pity in their eyes scared him. He didn't understand. All this... for nothing? The Scrolls, the Smoking Mountains, the Fortress of Saed Tisst, the battle for Jejna's village... for nothing? "Why?" Tiang asked the Great Dragon with a stir of defiance growing in his chest. He heard Jin and Linmei gasp. Questioning an immortal God, the creator of the World, was blasphemy. The Dragon removed immobile however, keeping its eyes focused on Tiang. If he had taken offence, he didn't show it.

"_He was punished."_

"He was a great man! What could he have done to deserve a fate like this? His skin... rotting away on his bones!" Tiang felt a tear welling up in his right eye. He pushed it back. He wasn't going to show weakness. Not now.

"_Promises were broken. When Sagacious Tien sought to unite the separate kingdoms of the Eastern World and form the Jade Empire, he knew it could not be done without the help of the Gods. He was right. We granted him strength, we granted him divine power with promises of future immortality and divine status should he succeed. In return, he promised us worship and loyalty. He promised all his subjects would love the Dragons and revere us. _

"_Yet when the Jade Empire was united, other thing started taking precedence. Sagacious Tien chose the needs of mortals over those he served. Temples fell into disarray and became farms, public houses or hostels. Statues he had erected were left without worship or sacrifices."_

"Our people prospered!" Tiang shouted. His earlier defiance was turning into anger. He knew it was dumb, but he could not help himself.

"_Do not assume your people are more important than the Celestial Bureaucracy, Prince Tiang. It is the Dragons who made you and your world, not your subjects, who have to be served. Because we are the foremost beings of power, and what is promised us, must be given to us. That is how it is. That is how it always will be. Emperor Tien was punished. Right before you arrived here, the Water Dragon guided his soul to the Great Wheel."_

The Water Dragon held her arms behind her back, showing no emotion in front of the Great Dragon.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Tiang desperately asked, "nothing I can do that will change your mind? If you would just bring him back, I could..."

"_What is done is done. We do not send souls back to their Earthly bodies once the Water Dragon has guided them to the Wheel. But for you, Prince Tiang, there is still hope."_

"For me?"

"_You are Emperor Tien's sole surviving heir. You must fulfil the promises he made. And that is not all."_

"What does Your Divinity require of me?" Tiang asked. He was living in a momentary haze, trying to comprehend the situation but the harder he tried to grasp it, the more it seemed to elude him.

"_To the West of the Jade Empire lies Dirge, the Land of Howling Spirits. In the war between demons and Dragons that transcended your mortal world, two powerful weapons were forged by the Celestial Bureaucracy. Weapons that could kill the Greater Demons of legend. But before they could be put to use, they were stolen by their minions. The Demon Sword and Demon Staff now rest in Dirge, which has been overrun by demons. Each weapon is safeguarded by minions of the Greater Demons."_

"Why not simply make new ones, if you have need of them?" Jin asked, daring to break his silence for the first time.

"_Despite what you might believe, Audacious Jin, our power is finite. The energy required to create those weapons is so enormous we can not conjure it up for quite some time. The weapons must be recovered before the enemy uses them against us."_

"If I do this, will my father be restored back to life?" Tiang asked hopefully, but his hopes were cast down.

"_No. But we will allow you to reign on as Emperor. We will allow your bloodline to continue its rule."_

"Fulfil my father's promises to you, and recover your relics," Tiang summed up, whispering, before speaking up again. "It will be done, I swear it."

"_There is more."_ The Great Dragon looked at the Water Dragon, who softly nodded before speaking.

"Me," she said. Tiang raised an eyebrow. He did not understand what she meant. "When the world was made," the Water Dragon continued, "I was appointed the task of guiding the souls of the dead to the Great Wheel of Life. In order to do that, my presence had to be divided between the earthly and heavenly realm. My spirit is here, but my body is..."

"... in Dirge," Jin completed her sentence. "Which is overrun by demons."

The Water Dragon bowed her head. "Your instincts are correct, Audacious Jin. They have taken my body captive. If they destroy it, I will die."

"But you are immortal!" Linmei said, compassionate as ever. "You can't die."

"The waters cannot bleed forever," the Water Dragon replied. "If you do not rescue me, then die I shall."

"And if there is no one to guide the spirits to the Wheel..." Linmei wondered out loud.

"... the dead shall walk the Earth," Jin completed her sentence. Once again, the Water Dragon bowed her head.

"And all will be lost, regardless of who rules, regardless of who lives or dies," Tiang realized.

"_You know your quest, Righteous Tiang. You know your purpose. This exchange is over."_

Before Tiang could reply, a bright flash made the landscape disappear and they instantaneously found themselves back at the foot of the Smoking Mountains.

XXX

The funeral was over. Tiang, Jin and Linmei retreated to the Imperial Palace's private quarters, the Great Hall being cleaned by servants after the feast in honour of the late Emperor Sagacious Tien. Everyone of note in the city and beyond had come to pay their respects. Some genuine, some false. Some came bearing gifts, others came seeking favours. Whilst Tiang's reign hadn't officially begun yet, he was already feeling the obnoxious drag of politics.

It had started in the morning, when Sagacious Tien's body was laid bare in the Imperial City's square, for all the population to see. Emperor Tien had been a man of the people, loved and worshipped by many. Ironically, as it turned out, that had been his undoing. He had been more loved than the Dragons, and for that he had paid a dear price. With tens of thousands in attendance, the streets of the Imperial City bursting at the seams, scholars had re-told the Emperor's greatest achievements. Overthrowing the tyrants that ruled the self-governed kingdoms of the East; ascending to the Heavens to be granted divine might; winning the great civil war with The Outlander at his side; and most of all, conquering and uniting all warring countries to form the Jade Empire, a glorious land the like of which the modern world had never seen, a powerful bastion that crushed savagery and brutality, and was fair and just to all of its people.

Hours had passed with people laying gifts at the feet of the deceased Emperor. Honours were made to the Water Dragon for safe passage of his soul to the Great Wheel. They had all preyed together in the streets to the Great Dragon, begging him to make Righteous Tiang's reign as fortunate and glorious as that of his father. Tiang had made sure the Dragons received their fair share of prayer.

After that, the Emperor was carried to his tomb beneath the palace, a grand mausoleum of Jade floating rock, constructed by the Empire's most gifted stonemasons. Tiang, Jin, and generals Fong and Ben, the country's foremost soldiers after The Outlander's passing, had carried the Emperor to his final resting place. After that, those who were invited had supped in the Great Hall, a feast to commemorate the deeds of their beloved leader.

Whilst the food had been extraordinary, Tiang had not been able to eat a bite. The country's foremost noblemen had all been chomping away merrily, boasting about how the Emperor had once bestowed this or that honour upon him, or were talking loudly of how great an Emperor his son was going to be. It had been a sickening display of sucking up.

Still, it had been important. Tiang had needed to get acquainted with all of the noblemen, who now saw him as their liege lord and soon to be Emperor. There was Jing Xo and Wei Sing of the Prosperous East, the most powerful and wealthy noblemen in the province, elevated through riches born of prosperous trade. There was Lady Kwan and Lady Lao, the rulers of the minor provinces South of the Grandfather River, daughters of war heroes that had fought alongside his father. There were those who ruled the major cities in the Golden Delta: Lord Fen Do, Lady Wen, Lady Seetoo and Lord Zhang, all of them the trueborn heirs of people his father had raised to noble status after his rebellion and the formation of the Jade Empire. There was Lady Tse and Lord Song, Lord Qian, Count Pon the Vein, Linmei's father, and Lord Li, who ruled in the area's surrounding the Imperial City in the Seat of Heaven. There were the noblemen and -women from the Imperial City and Palace itself. They had all brought their families, vassals and the sworn military leaders of their city's defences and their household guards. In total there had been several hundred people at the feast. Luckily, the Great Hall was made to host such an amount.  
There had been no sign, however, of Tang. Jin had inquired after his whereabouts, only to be met with the same answer over and over again: 'I don't know.' It was said that he had returned to the Palace to attend his father's funeral and had spent some days in the company of the Emperor, before moving on. He hadn't been seen since. Tiang wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, he could do without Tang's sometimes infuriating arrogance. On the other, he thought Tang's strength and tendency to speak his mind would be invigorating and refreshing compared to the sucking up of his subjects.

Right now, Tiang had his belly full of nobles and missing princes, and wished for some privacy to properly mourn his father and talk to his friends. It had only been two days since they had returned to the Palace. He had sent word ahead by carrier pigeons to make arrangements for the funeral, and was pleased that things had been going smoothly when he arrived back at the Palace. Since then, however, they hadn't had a moment's rest, no time to come up with a plan, no idea what to do next. The future of the Empire wasn't secure yet, and with the Water Dragon's body possibly in the hands of the demonic powers in the Land of Howling Spirits... Tiang shuddered to think what would happen should something happen to it.

They retreated into the private quarters, on the second level of the Palace. Tiang dismissed the servants waiting in attendance, wishing to be left alone. He wished for some time alone with Linmei, which had been rare since their kiss near the feet of the Smoking Mountains. Jin was constantly around. He could scarcely blame his cousin for that, since he meant only to comfort and aid Tiang wherever and whenever he could, standing by him in this time of shared mourning. However, it severely stumped his efforts to get closer to Linmei, his presumed bride-to-be. For now, he knew he had to patient. There was going to be a time for intimacy and love, but that was not in the present.

Their private quarters were as luxurious as one could wish. Plenty of comfortable sofa's were placed around the room, their jade pillows invitingly resting on the golden supports. Cases of books decorated the walls throughout, protected by thin see-through curtains, save near the far end where a hearth gently crackled despite the risks a fire posed in a room like this. In the middle of the room was a low table, where one could consult documents, eat and drink, read books and scrolls, or whatever was required of it. The last servant exited the room, sliding the wooden door shut. Grateful for the peace and quiet, Tiang plopped down on one of the sofa's in a very un-Emperorlike fashion. He sighed. Linmei gently sat herself down near him. She crept closer, a gesture he more than appreciated. Their black mourning robes touched, before she grabbed his hand. Jin, sensing that they desired a moment alone, awkwardly acted like there was something incredibly interesting in the hearth, before diverting his attention to one of the bookcases.

"How are you?" she asked in a low voice, looking him right in the eyes. She softly smiled, a small act born out of kindness, and comforting in more ways than she could fathom. Those beautiful, beautiful lips...

"I'm fine," he lied, trying to act strong, resting his back against the soft pillow. "Tired, though. Nervous. Of what the future will bring." The pillows were so soft it felt like he was resting on clouds. Linmei gently squeezed his hand.

"There's a lot that still needs to be done," she admitted. "A lot of people depend on us. Our success or failure will decide the fate of hundreds of thousands, if not millions."

"And I don't even know where to start." Tiang sighed, looking at the floor. "The Land of Howling Spirits is big. I know what I must do, but I don't know where to look. We have been given no specifics."

"Counsel and answers will come with time," Linmei comforted him, before extending her hand to his head, cupping the back of his neck. "Now, we always have the present." She came in for a kiss. Tiang was happy, and for a split second he forgot all of his sorrows. Jin was rolling up a scroll and putting it away, decisively bored but respecting their wish to have a moment alone. Linmei's lips pressed on his, her tongue extending, brushing his lips before...

Tiang heard the door to the room slid open. He jerked his head back, mad at having his magical moment interrupted.

"Who dares to..." he sputtered, before stopping mid-sentence. In the doorway stood Prince Tang, two great golden axes bound to his back, smirking.

"Dragons fuck me up the ass, it's the new Emperor!"

XXX

**A/N: To anyone who's actually reading this: congratulations, you're probably unique. What a long chapter! You can imagine why this took me so long to complete. And we're only just getting started, it seems! Next chapter: "I, Tang the Avenger." Like thr previous I,... chapter, written from Tang's first person perspective. What did he do after abandoning Tiang, Jin and Linmei while they went looking for the Scrolls? You'll find out. Sooner or later.**


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